Amazonian Pygmy Owl

Facts about Amazonian Pygmy Owl. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl is a small owl living in the Amazon basin, hence the name. In Spanish, it is called Mochuelo amazónico. "Scientific name for forAmazonian Pygmy Owl is Glaucidium hardyi". The species was identified by Vielliard in 1990.
The Amazonian Pygmy Owl is also known as the Hardy’s pygmy owl. It is a member of the Glaucidium genus, Strigidae family and Strigiformes order.

Appearance of Amazonian Pygmy Owl

Amazonian Pygmy Owls have large yellow eyes and narrow yellow beaks. Large thin feathery feathers flare out near the eyes. Amazonian Pygmy Owls are mostly brown on their heads with a few white spots. Their facial disks are not very distinct.
Amazonian Pygmy Owls do not have “horns”, the feathery peaks above the eyes of their distant relatives, the “true owls”. Amazonian Pygmy Owls have a bold white triangular patch on the throat. The wings are mostly brown. The chest and legs are mostly white with stripes of brown plumage. Amazonian Pygmy Owls have orange claws. The tail has five white or cream bars. The hardyi species doesn’t have the bold white spots on its wings that closely related Glaucidium parkeri does.
The name “pygmy” comes from its size – only five and a half inches tall.

Habitat of Amazonian Pygmy Owl

Amazonian Pygmy Owls prefer to live in tropical lowland evergreen forest in the Amazon basin, foraging in the mid-story and the canopy. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl lives only in the Amazonian drainage basin. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl does not migrate.

Range of Amazonian Pygmy Owl

The Amazonian Pygmy Owl species has a wide range through the Amazon basin. It ranges from the state of Amapa in Brazil to the states of Amazonas to Acre to the northern edge of Rodonia. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl lives in the eastern side of Peru, in the Amazonian basin. Its range, however, skirts around Suriname. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl is found in French Guiana and Guyana. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl's range extends to the edge of the Andes cordillera, but it does not live in the mountains or foothills of the Andes. It is not found at elevations above 1000 feet.
The Amazonian Pygmy Owl has an IUCN status of “least concern”. The Amazonian Pygmy Owl is found over a large, intact range with no signs that its population is declining, and there is no immediate threat to its habitat. However, the Amazonian Pygmy Owl does not live in high densities in its range.

Behavior of Amazonian Pygmy Owl

The Amazonian Pygmy Owl is partially diurnal, with activity peaking around sunrise and sunset.
The Amazonian Pygmy Owl's song is a series of short whistled notes, whereas its closest relatives “hoot”.
The Amazonian Pygmy Owl eats large insects and small vertebrates like lizards, smaller birds, and anything else it can catch. Insects are the largest part of its diet.
The birds are mostly solitary. Amazonian Pygmy Owls build cavity nests inside of trees. They sing out on exposed branches.
Not much else is known of their behavior, such as clutch size and mating habits.

Trivia of Amazonian Pygmy Owl

The Amazonian Pygmy Owl species is part of the G. minutissimum complex, a group of Glaucidium species in the Amazon. This group is of Glaucidium owl species that are also called the least pygmy owl complex. They do have differences in songs, but all live in South America.
The Amazonian Pygmy Owls species’ range overlaps with that of the Glaucidium brasilianum owl, but that species hunts at the edge of the forest and along the open river banks, whereas the Glaucidium hardyi stays well up in the canopy.