Pygmy owl

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Pygmy owls
Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Recent
Glaucidium capense.jpg
African barred owlet
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Glaucidium
F. Boie, 1826
Type species
Strix passerina
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

See text

Guatemalan pygmy owl (left) and red-chested owlet (right); illustration by Keulemans, 1875 GlaucidiumKeulemans.jpg
Guatemalan pygmy owl (left) and red-chested owlet (right); illustration by Keulemans, 1875
Ferruginous pygmy owl Ferruginos pygmy owl.jpg
Ferruginous pygmy owl

Pygmy owls are members of the genus Glaucidium. They belong to the typical owl family, Strigidae. The genus consists of 29 species distributed worldwide. These are mostly small owls, and some of the species are called "owlets". The genus includes nocturnal, diurnal, and crepuscular species. Birds in this genus mainly hunt large insects and other small prey. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus Glaucidium was introduced in 1826 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. [2] The type species was designated as the Eurasian pygmy owl by George Robert Gray in 1840. [3] [4] The genus name is from Ancient Greek glaukidion meaning "little owl" or "owlet". It is diminutive of glaux meaning "owl". [5]

A molecular phylogenetic study of the owls published in 2019 found that the widely distributed northern hawk-owl (Surnia ulula) is sister to the genus Glaucidium. [6]

Species

The genus contains 29 living species: [7]

Etymology

The word "pygmy" has its roots in the Greek word "πυγμαῖος" (pygmaioi), which means "of the fist," suggesting the small stature of the object in question. [8] The earliest evidence of this term's usage to describe species in the Glaucidium genus dates back to the 1850s, believed to be coined by zoologist Spencer Baird. [9]

Fossil specimens

Kurochkin's pygmy owl (Glaucidium kurochkini) is a fossil species known from the La Brea Tar Pits that likely went extinct during the Quaternary extinction. The supposed prehistoric species "Glaucidium" dickinsoni is now recognized as a burrowing owl, probably a paleosubspecies providentiae. Bones of an indeterminate Glaucidium have been recovered from Late Pliocene deposits in Poland. [10] Fossil material belonging to a new species of Glaucidium was described in 2020 as G. ireneae. The fossils were recovered from Pliocene/Pleistocene transitional strata in South Africa. [11]

Description and characteristics

Pygmy owls' ears, similar to other owls, are covered by feathers on the side of the face behind the eyes. To better triangulate sounds and make hunting easier, the pygmy owl's ears may be asymmetrically placed. [12] Female owls tend to be bigger than males. [13]

Some species of pygmy owl, including the northern pygmy owl, have ocelli on the back of their heads. [14] These eyespots may contribute to the owls' self-defense against mobbing. [15]

Habitat

The pygmy owl in a forest environment. Eurasian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum), Eastern Belgium (14581626193).jpg
The pygmy owl in a forest environment.

Pygmy owl species are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. In Northern America, pygmy owls can primarily be found in western North America, with regions encompassing Canada, the United States, and Mexico. In line with the diversity of countries, these animals display incredible flexibility in terms of specific habitats by which they reside. [16] The predominant environment they are found in is forests, ranging from temperate and moist to deciduous woods. However, they can also be found in savannas, wetlands, open woodlands, swamps, and meadows. [17] In correspondence with this, their preference for elevation greatly depends on the region they affiliate with. However, the general range of altitudes they prefer are between 3,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level. [18]

The pygmy owl's habitat also depends on availability in their country of residence. In Mexico, they tend to be found in pine-oak and scrub forests, while their Honduras counterparts plant their roots in highland pine and cloud forests. [19] Due to their preferred reproduction method of exploiting tree cavities produced by woodpeckers, this forest environment works to their advantage in terms of conserving their energy finding potential nesting locations. [20]

Human impact and conservation efforts

As an inevitable and at times inadvertent consequence of human development, the pygmy owl's habitat, and by extension the animal itself, is under threat. A broader characterization of human impact on the pygmy owl is climate change, urbanization, agricultural expansion, and more. As a direct result, habitat fragmentation is occurring at an alarming rate—a rate at which the owls cannot adapt to naturally. [21] While the general trajectory of habitat destruction for pygmy owls is that of a declining one, certain regions are experiencing more difficulty than others. For instance, California and Arizona, which typically harbor drier conditions that are exacerbated by climate change, are prime areas that have seen pygmy owl populations decline due to reduced prey and decreased vegetative environments from extreme weather and droughts. [22]

Under the United States Endangered Species Act, the pygmy owl's critical habitat areas are under federal protection, and their recovery plan is being monitored and implemented constantly to foster long term viability. [23] Such rebound plans are happening at the state and local level concurrently. As governments step up their efforts to protect this species from extinction, they are engaging in habitat acquisition to ensure no private activities are harming the pygmy owls. [21] While public campaigns step up to protect this species, the fact of the matter remains that human impact continues to have a colossal influence on the pygmy owls' existence, and their numbers are decreasing at alarming rates.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True owl</span> Family of birds

The true owls or typical owls are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical owls have a cosmopolitan distribution and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Eurasian pygmy owl is the smallest owl in Europe. It is a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of the neck. This species is found in the boreal forests of Northern and Central Europe to Siberia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl-spotted owlet</span> Species of owl

The pearl-spotted owlet is a small bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa. They belong to the Strigidae family, otherwise known as the typical owls or the true owls, which contains most species of owl. As part of the genus Glaucidium, or pygmy owls, they are commonly referred to as 'owlets' due to their diminutive size. Pearl-spotted owlets are brownish and heavily spotted white, with two distinct black false 'eyes' at the back of their head. They are often confused with an African barred owlet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flammulated owl</span> Species of owl

The flammulated owl is a small migratory North American owl in the family Strigidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Psiloscops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferruginous pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The ferruginous pygmy owl is a small owl that breeds in south-central Arizona and southern Texas in the United States, south through Mexico and Central America, to South America into Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-whiskered owlet</span> Species of owl

The long-whiskered owlet is a tiny owl that is endemic to a small area in the Andean mountains in Amazonas and San Martín in northern Peru. It is restricted to cloud forests with dense undergrowth and epiphytes at about 1,890–2,200 m (6,200–7,220 ft) asl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The northern pygmy owl is a small owl native to western North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared owlet</span> Species of owl

The collared owlet, also known as the collared pygmy owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. Its natural habitat is submontane and montane forests with open spaces and is distributed throughout oriental Asia. It is the smallest owl in Asia, at 15 cm (5.9 in) and 60 g (2.1 oz).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African barred owlet</span> Species of owl

The African barred owlet is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae found in much of southern, central and eastern Africa. The taxon may be four species rather than a single species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costa Rican pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Costa Rican pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian barred owlet</span> Species of owl

The Asian Barred Owlet also known as the Cuckoo owlet is a species of pygmy owl native to the forests and shrublands of mainland Southeast Asia to the foothills of the Himalayas of northern Pakistan. It is a smaller owl, measuring 22–25 cm (8.7–9.8 in) making it one of the larger pygmy owls. They are primarily insectivorous but will eat lizards, small rodents and birds as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austral pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The austral pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloud-forest pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The cloud-forest pygmy owl is a short, muscular, small-sized species of owl found throughout the Andes of western Colombia and north-western Ecuador, being confined to cloud forests between 900–2000 m a.s.l. Below this altitudinal range the Central American pygmy owl occurs; above it, the Andean pygmy owl occurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Pacific pygmy owl or Peruvian pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamaulipas pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Tamaulipas pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Mexico. This is one of the smallest owls in the world, with a mean length of 13.5 cm (5.3 in). However, at 53 g (1.9 oz), it is slightly heavier than the long-whiskered owlet and the elf owl. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baja pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Baja pygmy owl or cape pygmy owl, is a subspecies of northern pygmy owl restricted to the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Although some taxonomists, including the International Ornithologists' Union, consider it to be a distinct species, other authorities, including the American Ornithological Society, do not consider it separate, and consider it to be a subspecies of the northern pygmy owl.

The Tucuman pygmy-owl is a small South American owl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guatemalan pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Guatemalan pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. However, some taxonomic systems consider it to be a subspecies of northern pygmy owl. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The mountain pygmy owl is a small species of owl from the family Strigidae. They reside throughout southern Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico.

<i>Taenioptynx</i> Genus of birds

Taenioptynx is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae, that inhabits Asia.

References

  1. ↑ Heraldo V. Norambuena; Andrés Muñoz-Pedreros (September 2012). "Diurnal Activity of the Austral Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium nana) in Southern Chile". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 124 (3): 633–635. doi:10.1676/11-118.1.
  2. ↑ Boie, Friedrich (1826). "Generalübersicht der ornithologischen Ordnungen, Familien und Gattungen". Isis von Oken (in German and Latin). 19. cols 969–981 [970]. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  3. ↑ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1940). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 127. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  4. ↑ Gray, George Robert (1840). A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus. London: R. and J.E. Taylor. p. 6. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  5. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 174. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  6. ↑ Salter, J.F.; Oliveros, C.H.; Hosner, P.A.; Manthey, J.D.; Robbins, M.B.; Moyle, R.G.; Brumfield, R.T.; Faircloth, B.C. (2019). "Extensive paraphyly in the typical owl family (Strigidae)". The Auk. 137 (ukz070). doi: 10.1093/auk/ukz070 . hdl: 2346/93048 .
  7. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2021). "Owls". IOC World Bird List Version 11.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "pygmy owl | Search Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  9. ↑ "pygmy owl, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary". www.oed.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  10. ↑ Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002). Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe (PDF). Prague: Ninox Press. p. 215. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-11.
  11. ↑ Pavia, Marco (2020-11-15). "Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Cradle of Humankind during the Plio-Pleistocene transition, inferred from the analysis of fossil birds from Member 2 of the hominin-bearing site of Kromdraai (Gauteng, South Africa)". Quaternary Science Reviews. 248: 106532. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106532. ISSN   0277-3791. S2CID   224866137.
  12. ↑ Santillan, Miguel Angel; Sarasola, Jose Hernán; Dolsan, Marcelo (June 2008). "Ear Tufts in Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) as Alarm response". Journal of Raptor Research. 42 (2): 153–154. doi:10.3356/JRR-06-81.1. hdl: 11336/81723 . ISSN   0892-1016.
  13. ↑ "Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl". American Bird Conservancy. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  14. ↑ "These Birds of Prey Have Eyes in the Backs of Their Heads". www.audubon.org. National Audubon Society. 2019-07-02. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  15. ↑ Deppe, Caroline; Holt, Denver; Tewksbury, Josh; Broberg, Len; Petersen, Julie; Wood, Kristin (July 2003). "Effect of Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium Gnoma) Eyespots on Avian Mobbing". The Auk. 120 (3): 765–771.
  16. ↑ Strøm, Hallvard. "Home range and habitat selection in the Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passerinum".
  17. ↑ "Northern Pygmy Owl". www.peregrinefund.org. The Peregrine Fund. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  18. ↑ Pačenovský, Samuel; Shurulinkov, Peter (January 2008). "Latest data on distribution of the Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum) in Bulgaria and Slovakia including population density comparison". Raptor Journal. 2 (2008): 91–106. doi: 10.2478/v10262-012-0023-5 .
  19. ↑ "Northern Pygmy-Owl Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  20. ↑ Baroni, Daniele; Korpimäki, Erkki; Selonen, Vesa; Laaksonen, Toni (2020-03-15). "Tree cavity abundance and beyond: Nesting and food storing sites of the pygmy owl in managed boreal forests". Forest Ecology and Management. 460: 117818. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117818. ISSN   0378-1127.
  21. 1 2 "Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Listed". FWS.gov. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 2023-07-06. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  22. ↑ "Federal Register :: Request Access". unblock.federalregister.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2023-10-25.[ verification needed ]
  23. ↑ "The US Endangered Species Act". World Wildlife Fund. Archived from the original on 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
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