Photo: Michael Woodruff from Spokane, Washington, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Costa Rican Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium costaricanum
Costa Rican Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium costaricanum) — Owls of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium costaricanum) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 66 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 costaricanum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 66 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium costaricanum) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Costa Rica and Panama.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 66 g, with a wing length of about 9.4 cm and a tail of around 5.3 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 11,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Costa Rican Pygmy Owl?
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 66 g.
Where does the Costa Rican Pygmy Owl live?
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Costa Rica and Panama, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Costa Rican Pygmy Owl belong to?
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium costaricanum) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Costa Rican Pygmy Owl eat?
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Costa Rican Pygmy Owl migrate?
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Costa Rican 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 Costa Rican Pygmy Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Costa Rican 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 Costa Rican Pygmy Owl's range?
The Costa Rican Pygmy Owl has a mapped global range of about 11,000 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.