Pygmy owl


 * Glaucidium is also a plant genus in the Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.



Pygmy Owls are members of the genus Glaucidium. They belong to the typical owl family Strigidae, one of the two generally accepted living families of owls. The genus consists of about 26 to 35 species distributed worldwide. The exact number of species is somewhat disputed.

These are mostly small owls, and some of the species are called "owlets". Most pygmy owl species are nocturnal and hunt mainly large insects and other small prey.

Species

 * Subgenus Glaucidium (subgenus)
 * Pearl-spotted Owlet, Glaucidium perlatum
 * Eurasian Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium passerinum
 * Collared Owlet, Glaucidium brodiei
 * Red-chested Owlet, Glaucidium tephronotum
 * Sjostedt's Barred Owlet, Glaucidium sjostedti
 * Subgenus Phalaenopsis
 * Northern Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium gnoma
 * Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium cobanense
 * Cuban Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium siju
 * Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium costaricanum
 * Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium nubicola
 * Andean Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium jardinii
 * Yungas Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium bolivianum
 * Subtropical Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium parkeri
 * Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium hardyi
 * Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium mooreorum
 * Least Pygmy-Owl / East Brazilian Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium minutissimum
 * Austral Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium nana
 * Central American Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium griseiceps
 * Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium sanchezi
 * Colima Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium palmarum
 * Peruvian Pygmy-Owl / Pacific Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium peruanum
 * Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium brasilianum

The supposed prehistoric species "Glaucidium" dickinsoni is now recognized as a burrowing owl, probably a paleosubspecies providentiae. Bones of an indeterminate Glaucidium have been recovered from Late Pliocene deposits in Poland (Mlíkovský 2002).

Now in Smithiglaux

 * African Barred Owlet, Smithiglaux capense
 * Ngami Owlet,  Smithiglaux (capense) ngamiense
 * Scheffler's Owlet,  Smithiglaux (capense) scheffleri
 * Chestnut Owlet,  Glaucidium castaneum
 * Albertine Owlet,  Smithiglaux albertinum

Now in Taenioglaux

 * Asian Barred Owlet,  Glaucidium cuculoides
 * Javan Owlet,  Glaucidium castanopterum
 * Jungle Owlet,  Glaucidium radiatum
 * Chestnut-backed Owlet,  Glaucidium castanonotum