Glaucidium brasilianum
ferruginous pygmy owl
(Also: ferruginous pygmy-owl)

Ferruginous pygmy owls are non-migratory and are found in the southwestern United States, Central America, and South America. (Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

Ferruginous pygmy-owls live in a variety of habitats throughout the Americas. They are found in cold temperate lowlands, subtropical, and tropical areas. They can be found in habitats ranging from deserts to rainforests. ("Whooo's Endangered?", 1998; "Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan", 2003; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000; "Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl", 2003)

Glaucidium brasilianum are very small and reach a size of only about 6 inches tall. They have round heads with black eyespots on the back, no ear tufts, and yellowish eyes. Adults often have white eyebrows, and white streaks on their heads. The body of the owl is reddish-brown in color with white streaks. The long tail is also reddish-brown. Their wings often have white streaks as well. The underparts are white. Males and females look very similiar to one another, but the females are slightly larger and more reddish in coloration. Juveniles look like adults, but their heads are often grayer and their eye spots lighter. Ferruginous pygmy-owls are similar to northern pygmy-owls, Glaucidium gnoma , but northern pygmy-owls are spotted rather than streaked, have whiter tails, and different vocalizations. ("Owling.com", 2003; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000; "Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl", 2003)

Ferruginous pygmy-owls are monogamous, and usually form pairs in their first fall after hatching. (Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

Ferruginous pygmy-owls nest in natural cavities of trees, stumps, or cactuses (depending on what is available). The cavities that they nest in are often the made by woodpeckers (Piciformes). Males give territorial advancement calls (monotone whistles) to attract females and repel other males. Female respond with chitter calls, bending forward, and raising their tail 45 to 60 degrees in order to expose the vent and allow copulation. ("Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan", 2003; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

Incubation usually lasts 23 to 28 days. Incubation of the eggs and brooding of the young is done by the females. Males are the providers of food for the first few weeks. They bring back food that the female tears up and feeds to the young. After about 3 weeks both parents go out to retreive food for their offspring. Young begin fledging between 21 and 29 days after hatching, and remain dependent on parents for about 8 weeks. (Proudfoot and Beasom, 1997; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

There is little information to be found on the lifespan of ferruginous pygmy-owls.

These owls are most active near dawn and dusk. They are either solitary or in pairs for mating purposes. In order to move within trees, they walk and hop from branch to branch. They also rapidly beat their wings in order to make short, direct flights. Ferruginous pygmy-owls perch in trees similarly to other owls, with their tails straight downward. Allopreening is done between paired adults, fledglings, and nestlings. ("Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan", 2003; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

Little to no information is available.

Ferruginous pygmy-owls can be heard calling more frequently around sunrise and sunset. Sounds that they make include whistled hoot and took noises, and high yelping twitters. Male calls are lower in tone than females. Males give territorial-advertisement calls and females vocalize through chitters. ("Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan", 2003; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

Glaucidium brasilianum are opportunistic predators with diverse diets. They feed mostly on insects, but also on birds, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals. They are diurnal and feed mostly during sunrise and sunset. In order to kill birds and some lizards the ferruginous pygmy-owl bites just behind their prey's head, while other lizards are swallowed whole. Insects are usually decapitated and only the soft body parts of them are eaten. Mammals are eaten piece by piece. Specific examples of what these owls feed on inlude grasshoppers and crickets(Orthoptera), scorpions (Arachnida), six lined race runners (Cnemidophorus sexlineanius), four-lined skinks (Plestiodon tetragrammus), and Texas spotted whiptails (Cnemidophorus gularis). (Proudfoot and Beasom, 1997; Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

In response to predators such as hawks, owls, snakes, and raccoons, ferruginous pygmy-owls either go into a vertical position and move their tail back and forth, or maintain an errect position with feathers close to their body. Nestlings sometimes spread out their wings and puff themselves up. (Proudfoot and Johnson, 2000)

These owls are predators of a variety of species that share the same habitat. (Proudfoot and Beasom, 1997)

There are no known benefits that ferruginous pygmy-owls provide to humans.

Because of their small population size, the land that these owls live on is protected from development and construction of new houses and buildings through the Endangered Species Act. (Jehl, March, 17 2003)