Photo: markaharper1 / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pacific Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium peruanum
Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum) — Owls of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 62.4 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 peruanum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 62.4 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pacific Pygmy Owl is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pacific Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA w Ecuador and Peru.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 62.4 g, with a wing length of about 9.4 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 335,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pacific Pygmy Owl?
The Pacific Pygmy Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 62.4 g.
Where does the Pacific Pygmy Owl live?
The Pacific Pygmy Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA w Ecuador and Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pacific Pygmy Owl belong to?
The Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Pacific Pygmy Owl eat?
The Pacific Pygmy Owl is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Pacific Pygmy Owl migrate?
The Pacific Pygmy Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pacific 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 Pacific Pygmy Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Pacific 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 Pacific Pygmy Owl's range?
The Pacific Pygmy Owl has a mapped global range of about 335,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Strigidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
More in Owls
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.