Cloud-forest pygmy owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cloud-forest pygmy owl |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Glaucidium |
| Species: |
G. nubicola
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| Binomial name | |
| Glaucidium nubicola Robbins & Stiles, 1999
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| Distribution of cloud-forest pygmy owl Resident | |
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The cloud-forest pygmy owl (Glaucidium nubicola) is a small, strong owl. It lives in the Andes mountains of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. This owl is special because it only lives in cloud forests. These forests are found high up, between 900 and 2,000 meters (about 3,000 to 6,500 feet) above sea level.
The name nubicola comes from Latin. It means "cloud-inhabiting." This is a perfect name for an owl that loves misty, humid cloud forests!
Contents
About the Cloud-Forest Pygmy Owl
The cloud-forest pygmy owl was first described by scientists Mark B. Robbins and F. Gary Styles in 1999. Its scientific name, Glaucidium nubicola, has a special meaning. Glaucidium means "little owl" in Greek. The species name nubicola means "cloud-inhabiting" in Latin.
This owl belongs to a group of small owls called Glaucidium. There are about 26 to 31 different species in this group. Most Glaucidium owls are active during the day or at dawn and dusk. They hunt insects, small reptiles, and small birds. All these owls are part of the Strigidae family, which includes most types of owls.
In the past, some people thought the cloud-forest pygmy owl was the same as the Andean pygmy owl. However, scientists later found they were different species.
What Does It Look Like?
The cloud-forest pygmy owl is a small owl, about 14.5 to 16 centimeters (5.7 to 6.3 inches) long. Its wingspan is about 92.8 to 96.3 centimeters (3.7 to 3.8 inches). It weighs around 75.6 to 79.3 grams (2.7 to 2.8 ounces).
Male and female owls look very similar. However, females are usually a little bigger and heavier than males. This difference in size between males and females is called sexual dimorphism.
The owl is mostly dark brown. Some owls might have a reddish-brown color. Its back and wings are darker. Its lower back has dark reddish-brown spots that are white. It has white spots on its flight feathers, which are the main feathers used for flying. Its tail is blackish with five white bands.
The chin, throat, and upper chest are white. The sides of its chest are reddish-brown. It has small white spots on its breast and clearer stripes on its lower belly. This owl has a rounded head and no ear tufts. Its eyes and legs are yellow, and its beak is greenish-yellow.
A cool thing about this owl is that it has two dark spots on the back of its head. These spots are edged in white and look like eyes. They are called “false eyespots.” Many owls that are active during the day have these "eyespots." They might trick bigger predators into thinking the owl is watching them. This can help keep the owl safe.
The owl's face is not as round as owls that hunt mostly at night. Its colors help it blend in with the trees. This helps it hide from other animals. It has rounded wings, which are good for hunting from a perch.
The cloud-forest pygmy owl looks a lot like other pygmy owls. These include the Costa Rican pygmy owl and the Andean pygmy owl. However, the cloud-forest pygmy owl is heavier and has a shorter tail. It also has fewer spots or bars on its back and sides. Its "false eyespots" are bordered with white, which helps tell it apart from the Costa Rican pygmy owl.
How Does It Sound?
The cloud-forest pygmy owl's song is made of simple, hollow whistles or "toots." This is common for many pygmy owls in the Americas. Its song is a long series of short whistles, usually in pairs or sometimes in groups of three.
This song pattern is similar to the northern pygmy owl and the Costa Rican pygmy owl. Scientists use these sounds to help tell different owl species apart. Owl calls are natural, not learned, so they are very helpful for identifying species that look similar.
Scientists can even tell the cloud-forest pygmy owl apart by how long its notes are. They also measure the pauses between notes. For example, the pauses within note pairs are about 208 milliseconds. The pauses between pairs of whistles are about 345 milliseconds.
This owl often starts singing in the morning. It stays active and vocal throughout the day. Its song can make smaller birds gather around and try to chase it away.
Where Does It Live?
The cloud-forest pygmy owl lives only in the Andean part of the Chocó region. This area stretches from Risaralda in Colombia down to northern Cotopaxi in Ecuador. There might also be a separate group of these owls in southwestern El Oro, Ecuador. This area is the lowest elevation where the owl has been found, at 900 meters above sea level.
Scientists believe that the owl's home range is continuous. It might extend along the Pacific slope in Azuay, El Oro, and Loja provinces. This possible range covers about 2,570 square kilometers (about 990 square miles).
This pygmy owl lives in cloud forests in mountains. These areas get a lot of rain and have steep slopes. The owl can live in forests that have been slightly changed by humans. However, its habitat can be hard for people to reach. It can also be naturally broken up into smaller areas. Because of this, the owl is only found in a very small part of the world.
It lives in small numbers in the tops and middle parts of the forest. But it can fly down to the lower parts of the forest to find food.
How Does It Live?
Like other pygmy owls, this species is quite active during the day. It eats both insects and small animals. Because it is small and often hides in thick evergreen trees, it is not often seen.
Breeding Habits
The cloud-forest pygmy owl usually breeds between February and June. This timing means that its young owls leave the nest when there are many small birds available for food. In August 1999, a young owl was seen in Tandayapa, Ecuador. This suggests that nesting can happen at least until August.
This pygmy owl usually nests in a hole in a tree. It will also use old holes made by woodpeckers.
What Does It Eat?
The cloud-forest pygmy owl is an ambush predator. This means it hunts its prey by waiting quietly. It watches from a perch, then drops or glides down to catch its victim. This hunting style is called "sit-and-wait" or "perch-and-pounce." Many owls that live in forests hunt this way.
This owl eats many different things. Its main food includes insects like grasshoppers, crickets, and cicadas. It also eats small animals like birds and lizards. Glaucidium owls eat more reptiles than most other types of owls.
Flying is the main way this owl moves when it is hunting. Its fairly long tail probably helps it fly quickly and catch birds in the air.
How Long Do They Live?
In 2008, scientists caught and tagged an adult cloud-forest pygmy owl. This was part of a long-term study in Reserva Las Tangaras, near Mindo. The team caught the same owl again twice in 2012. This showed that the species can live for at least five years.
Is It Endangered?
The cloud-forest pygmy owl is currently listed as a vulnerable species. This means its population is quickly getting smaller. This is happening because of serious deforestation in its small home range. Also, its likely home range is less than 5,000 square kilometers. Scientists estimate there are only about 2,500 to 9,999 of these owls left. Out of these, only about 1,500 to 7,000 are adult owls.
The owl has lost 57% of its global habitat. It has lost 33% of its habitat in Ecuador. In Colombia, less than 55% of its habitat remains. Because of this, the cloud-forest pygmy owl is also considered vulnerable in Colombia. Scientists have also suggested it should be listed as vulnerable in Ecuador.
What Are the Threats?
The main reason for this habitat loss is ongoing deforestation. Cutting down trees for timber is probably the biggest threat. The Chocó region has been a source of timber for a long time. Logging has increased a lot since the mid-1970s. In western Ecuador, over 85% of the forest cover has been lost in the lowlands and slopes near the Pacific Ocean. In Colombia, human population growth and deforestation have been slower, but they are still increasing.
New roads are being built quickly in the Chocó. These roads make it easier to reach areas that were once far away. This means that logging, small farms (often illegal), and gold mining are all increasing rapidly in the Chocó. Also, large farms, especially coca plantations, and cattle ranching are big threats to the cloud-forest pygmy owl.
Sadly, the cloud-forest pygmy owl does not benefit much from protected areas. There are no records of it living in large protected areas, even though some seem to have suitable habitat.
Images for kids
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Northern pygmy owl showing "false eyespots" behind head
 | George Robert Carruthers |
 | Patricia Bath |
 | Jan Ernst Matzeliger |
 | Alexander Miles |
