Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Mountain Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium gnoma
Mountain Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) — Owls of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mountain Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 61.2 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 gnoma
Where it lives
Southwestern Arizona (USA) to central Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 61.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mountain 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 Mountain Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mountain Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw Arizona (USA) to c Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 61.2 g, with a wing length of about 8.9 cm and a tail of around 6.4 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 586,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mountain Pygmy Owl?
The Mountain Pygmy Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 61.2 g.
Where does the Mountain Pygmy Owl live?
The Mountain Pygmy Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw Arizona (USA) to c Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Mountain Pygmy Owl belong to?
The Mountain Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Mountain Pygmy Owl eat?
The Mountain Pygmy Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mountain Pygmy Owl migrate?
The Mountain Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mountain 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 Mountain Pygmy Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Mountain 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 Mountain Pygmy Owl's range?
The Mountain Pygmy Owl has a mapped global range of about 586,000 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.