Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium costaricanum
eBird describes the Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl like this: Small owl, active during the day and night. Very similar in plumage to other pygmy-owls, but limited range at high elevation (mostly above 1000m) is a good starting point. Overall brown to rufous with white stripes on belly; look for small white spots on crown and bars on flanks. Sexes alike. Found singly or in pairs in montane forests. Listen for whistled song of doubled notes given on an even pitch.
The Birds of the World website introduces the Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl with this descriptive information: The center of distribution of Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl is the highlands of central Costa Rica, but the range of the species extends east to western Panama. This small owl only recently was recognized as a distinct species. For many years, it was classified as a subspecies of Andean Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium jardinii), but analysis of its vocalizations and genetic data both indicate that it is more closely related to the Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma). Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl occurs at higher elevations than the two other species of pygmy-owls in Costa Rica and Panama, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) and Central American Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium griseiceps). In common with other species of pygmy-owls, this species is partially diurnal, and consumes both invertebrates and small vertebrates. Otherwise very little is known about the biology of this owl. Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl can be fairly common, and so, despite its small geographic range, it is not considered to be threatened.
I saw, and photographed, my first Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl around noon on February 9, 2023. I was with a small group of birders and we were on our way to Cerro Del Muerte (ie higher elevations). This was our last spot to stop before reaching our destination, and I was delighted that we spotted this beautiful little owl. It was sitting high up in a tree, right next to a bromeliad, which made for an interesting photo– it was a beautiful sight!
