![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d8d831c4990a06b56dfd1df69013a6a8.jpg/v1/fill/w_837,h_556,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/d8d831c4990a06b56dfd1df69013a6a8.jpg)
FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL
Glaucidium brasilianum
FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL FACTS:
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A very small owl with a short tail, yellow eyes, and pale beak
Males: back is brownish gray with buff colored spotting; belly has white, gray, and cinnamon coloring
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Females: same as males
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Young: darker brownish gray than adults; belly is lighter with dark brown barring
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FAMILY: Strigidae
CLOSEST RELATIVE: None
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL SIZE:
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Height: Males 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 in), Females 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 in)
Weight: Males 41g (1.44 oz), Females 41g (1.44 oz)
Wingspan Both: 38 cm (15.0 in)
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL RANGE:
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In North America only; in the U.S. found in only the desert southwest states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; also inhabits Baja California and Mexico
FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL HABITAT:
Cactus deserts, riparian forests, dry oak woodlands, and mesquite
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL DIET:
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Mostly insects like moths, crickets, and beetles; also spiders and scorpions, also occasionally reptiles, birds and small mammals.
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL VOICE:
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Males: a series of 5-15 high-pitched churp notes; male may repeat call many times during breeding season resembles the sound of a “puppy yelping”
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Females: cricket like trill when fed by male; both give a single “peeu” note during nesting
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL NESTING:
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Nest Site: cavity nester; nests in cactus and tree holes made by woodpeckers
Eggs: 1-5 glossy white, round to oval eggs
Incubation: 21-24 days
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL HUNTING HABITS:
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Crepuscular and nocturnal; flies and hovers over the ground, capturing flying insect prey as they take flight
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL CONSERVATION STATUS:
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Not globally threatened, but sensitive in U.S.
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FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL DISTRIBUTION IN NORTH AMERICA
![ferruginous pygmy owl, ferruginous pygmy owl distribution, ferruginous owl](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/78ab91_af6996e5d5cf4e80ba02da27aeee4383~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_497,h_513,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/78ab91_af6996e5d5cf4e80ba02da27aeee4383~mv2.jpg)
Maps provided by The Birds of North America Online and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
![ferruginous pygmy owl hoot, ferruginous pygmy owl sound, ferruginous pygmy owl audio](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/78ab91_c3d3c8136a4a445fad66fe0286077be4~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_214,h_217,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/78ab91_c3d3c8136a4a445fad66fe0286077be4~mv2.jpg)