Photo: Instituto Últimos Refúgios / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
East Brazilian Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium minutissimum
East Brazilian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum) — Owls of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 50 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Glaucidium
- Species minutissimum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 50 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil and e Paraguay.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 50 g, with a wing length of about 8.7 cm and a tail of around 4.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl?
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 50 g.
Where does the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl live?
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil and e Paraguay, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl belong to?
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl eat?
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl migrate?
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl make?
1 real field recording of the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl's range?
The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl has a mapped global range of about 1.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.