Colima Pygmy Owl

Facts about The Colima Pygmy Owls. Colima Pygmy Owl species was first described in 1901 by Edward William Nelson. Its classification has varied, and it is now considered to be its own species.
"Scientific name for the Colima Pygmy Owl is Glaucidium palmarum". It is a member of the Glaucidium genus and Strigidae family.
The Colima Pygmy Owl species was previously considered a subspecies of Glaucidium minutissimum, the Least Pygmy-Owl. That species is now only considered to cover individuals in South America, south of the Colima Pygmy Owl’s range.
There are two subspecies of Colima Pygmy Owl: Glaucidium palmarum griscomi and Glaucidium palmarum oberholseri.

Physical Description of Colima Pygmy Owls

The Colima Pygmy Owl has a rounded head without ear tufts. The head is a lighter color than the rest of the body. The Colima Pygmy Owl has white speckling on the crown. This owl has dark yellow eyes. It sports strong white eyebrows. It has a dark yellow beak. The cere is yellow. It has a bright white throat. The under-parts are off-white.
The Colima Pygmy Owl has dark brown wing feathers with some white spots. It has a lighter brown chest with white striations. The tail is brown with six or seven off-white bars. Colima Pygmy Owls nape has false eyes, also called an occipital face. The toes are yellow and bristled.
The Least Pygmy-Owl has a longer tail than the Colima Pygmy Owl, which it resembles. The Colima Pygmy Owl has spots on its crown, which the Least Pygmy-Owl lacks.
The Colima Pygmy Owl is about six inches (15.2 cm) tall. It weighs around two ounces; it is small even for a pygmy owl. It is similar in size to the Elf Owl. Females are a little heavier than the males.

Behavior of Colima Pygmy Owls

The biggest difference between the Least Pygmy-Owl and Colima Pygmy Owl is in their songs. The Colima Pygmy Owl has a short series of hoots for its song. It may have up to 24 notes in a single song. They can also trill.
The Colima Pygmy Owl is partially diurnal, active at sunrise and sunset. It is rarely active at night. It hunts invertebrates like insects and caterpillars and small vertebrates like lizards. It is as bold as the related Northern Pygmy-Owl, which has similar coloring, but the Colima is much more reddish-brown and has fewer white markings on its back. The Colima Pygmy Owl is similar to the Mountain Pygmy-Owl, though that species is larger and has a very different call.
The Colima Pygmy Owl is solitary. It probably nests in woodpecker holes and other holes in trees that it can find. If it behaves like other pygmy owls, it lays its eggs in May.

Habitat of Colima Pygmy Owls

The Colima Pygmy Owl species lives in the foothills of the Baja Mountains, in the dry tropical forests at elevations up to 4,500 feet (1371 meters). Colima Pygmy Owl lives in thorn forests, semi-deciduous forests, pine-oak forests and some coffee plantations.

Range of Colima Pygmy Owls

The Colima Pygmy Owls ranges along the Pacific coast of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerro and Oaxaca states in Mexico. The species is resident along the coast and does not migrate with the seasons.

Trivia of Colima Pygmy Owls

The Colima Pygmy Owl species was once considered a subspecies of its relatives until later analysis classified it as a separate one. Much more is known about its relatives.