- Glaucidium brasilianum
Includes Ridgway's Pygmy-Owl; Tucuman Pygmy-Owl
Identification
16-18 cm
Red, brown, and grey morphs occur, and tail varies having whitish, orange-buffy, or no bars. As with most Pygmy-Owls, there are pale areas on the back of the head imitating an extra pair of eyes.
Distribution
From Arizona and south-east Texas through Mexico and Central America to South America where found east of the Andes to Argentina.
Taxonomy
In the past, Austral Pygmy-Owl has been considered part of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. Konig et al.2 additionally have split subspecies ridgwayi (including cactorum and the not universally recognized saturatum) as the full species Ridgway's Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium ridgwayi which would include the birds from Panama to the USA; this has not been recognized by any of the world-wide checklists. Tucuman Pygmy-Owl (ssp tucumanum) is also sometimes split as full species.
Subspecies
Thirteen subspecies are recognized by Clements1.
- G. b. cactorum: South-eastern Arizona and western Mexico (Sonora to Oaxaca)
- G. b. saturatum: Southern Mexico (Chiapas) and Guatemala
- G. b. ridgwayi: Southern Texas (lower Rio Grande Valley) to Panama (Canal Zone)
- G. b. medianum: Tropical lowlands of northern Colombia
- G. b. margaritae: Isla Margarita (Venezuela)
- G. b. phaloenoides: Tropical northern Venezuela, Trinidad and the Guianas
- G. b. duidae: Tepuis of southern Venezuela (Mount Duida)
- G. b. olivaceum: Tepuis of southern Venezuela (Mount Auyan-Tepuí)
- G. b. ucayalae: Eastern base of Andes of south-eastern Colombia to Peru and northern Bolivia
- G. b. brasilianum: Southern Amazonian Brazil to eastern Paraguay, Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina
- G. b. pallens: Chaco of eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay and northern Argentina
- G. b. stranecki: Southern Uruguay to central Argentina
- G. b. tucumanum (Tucuman): Subtropical western Argentina (Salta and Tucumán to Córdoba)
Habitat
A wide variety of habitats from primary lowland forest to coastal scrub and semi-open areas.
Behaviour
Crepuscular, with some activity at both day and night (especially moon-lit nights). May even spontaneously sing in the middle of the day and is easily provoked to do so by imitation.
Diet
Their diet includes eggs and chicks.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- König, C., F. Weick, & J.-H. Becking. 1999. Owls - a guide to the owls of the world. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300079206
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Ferruginous_Pygmy_Owl
External Links