Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

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Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl by Jorge Claudio Schlemmer / Macaulay Library

Owls

Ferruginous Pygmy-OwlGlaucidium brasilianum

ORDER: Strigiformes
FAMILY: Strigidae

Basic Description

A small, plump owl patterned in cinnamon or gray, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is a fearless predator capable of tackling birds more than twice its size. With its small stature, tuftless head, and long tail, this species can be mistaken for a songbird, but small birds know the difference—they noisily mob this owl, especially when it gives its persistent tooting song. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is one of the most common, widespread Neotropical owls, ranging from North American deserts to South American rainforests.

More ID Info

image of range map for Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding

Range map provided by Birds of the World

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Find This Bird

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are active during the day, making them easy to find, at least by owl standards. They sing often, switch perches, and frequently are surrounded by small birds that mob the owls with scolding calls. When looking for Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, remember that they are slightly smaller than American Robins and other Turdus thrushes.

Other Names

Mochuelo Caburé (Spanish)
Chevêchette brune (French)

Cool Facts
- Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls only weigh about 2.5 ounces—less than an American Robin—but they can capture prey larger than themselves, like Eastern Meadowlark (3.2 ounces) and Gambel’s Quail (6.3 ounces). They are even nimble enough to catch small birds, including hummingbirds, that mob them.
- Some Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls take a minimalist approach when it comes to nesting. Researchers in Texas provided nest boxes with wood chips for nesting material, but found that some owls removed all the wood chips and laid their eggs directly on the bare wooden floor of the nest box.
- Most owl species have asymmetrical ears and fly silently—adaptations for locating and catching prey in the dark—but Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have symmetrical ears and make some noise in flight, suggesting that their vision (rather than hearing) might be most important in catching prey.
- Like other pygmy-owls, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have two “false eye spots” on the back of their head—large black spots outlined in white. An experiment with Northern Pygmy-Owl models found that these eye spots seemed to steer close mobbing birds away from the back of the owl’s head and towards the owl’s face. This could help the owl defend itself—or increase the chances of seizing a mobbing bird for an easy meal.
- Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls are quite variable in appearance, but they generally fit into two different color morphs: grayish-brown above or cinnamon-rufous. The tail pattern can be barred rufous and dark brown, or brown with incomplete white bands. Interestingly, the tail pattern with white bands does not occur in cinnamon-rufous individuals or in owls in the United States.
- Neotropical birders often do a whistled imitation of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls to attract warblers, tanagers, hummingbirds, and other small birds that are drawn to the toots.