Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl

Overview

The cloud-forest pygmy owl (Glaucidium nubicola) is a small, diurnal owl species endemic to the Andean portion of the Chocó biogeographic region in western Colombia and north-western Ecuador. It is classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and a restricted range.

Identification

• A short, muscular owl measuring 14.5–16 cm in length with a wingspan of 92.8–96.3 cm.
• Dark brown plumage with some individuals showing a rufous-brown wash; the tail is blackish with five incomplete white bands.
• Yellow irises, yellow legs, and a greenish-yellow bill; lacks ear tufts.
• Possesses two nape spots edged in white, resembling false eyespots.
• Song consists of hollow whistles or toots delivered in pairs or occasionally trios.

Habitat

Restricted to humid cloud forests in mountainous regions of high rainfall and steep slopes between 900–2000 m above sea level. It inhabits the canopy and middle stratum of primary or slightly altered forests but can descend into the understory for feeding.

Diet

An ambush predator that hunts during the day using a 'sit-and-wait' strategy from perches. It consumes a wide range of prey, including insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, as well as small vertebrates like birds and lizards.

Did you know?

The species displays reversed sexual dimorphism, where females are more than 3% larger and heavier than males. An individual banded in 2008 was recaptured in 2012, confirming a minimum lifespan of at least five years.