Costa Rican pygmy owl

Costa Rican pygmy owl
Savegre Lodge, near San Gerardo, Costa Rica
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	Glaucidium
Species:	G. costaricanum
Binomial name
Glaucidium costaricanum Robbins & Stiles, 1999

The Costa Rican pygmy owl (Glaucidium costaricanum) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.

Range and Habitat

The Costa Rican pygmy owl is found in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. This species prefers canopy and edges of highland forests and adjacent habitat, and sometimes even enters pastures and plains with scattered trees.

Habits and Voice

Costa Rican pygmy owls hunt from a low perch in dense forest. They wait for small prey, usually birds, lizards or large insects, and then strikes in swift flight. If the target is missed, the bird returns to perch rather than pursuing. Like other pygmy owls, they swish their tails from side to side when agitated.

The owls call mainly in early morning, late afternoon and at night with a long, slow song of randomly spaced, clear toots. Sometimes the sounds appear to come in groups of two or three. When excited, the owls give a faster, higher series of five toots.

Nesting

Pairs of owls nest in old woodpecker holes in March, and the female lays three eggs.

Taxonomic Note

The species was recently split from the Andean pygmy owl, Glaucidium jardanii.