Northern Pygmy-Owl
(Glaucidium gnoma)
eBird describes the Northern Pygmy-Owl like this: Small diurnal owl of forests of the mountainous western US and interior Mexico. Scarce and often difficult to find, but sometimes perches conspicuously. Brown and white overall with yellow eyes and bill. Sometimes cocks tail up or sideways. Look for large black eye-spots on nape when facing away. Feeds mainly on small birds and mammals. Different populations give slightly different versions of a series of single or paired toots. Northern Saw-whet Owl is fairly similar in plumage, but never perches out in the open in daylight.
All About Birds offers this additional descriptive information about the Northern Pygmy-Owl: The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eyes. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. Mobbing songbirds can help you find these unobtrusive owls, as can listening for their call, a high-pitched series of toots.
I saw, and photographed my first Northern Pygmy-Owl in Harshaw Canyon on August 6, 2022. I was with Scott Olmstead (my guide on a tour of one!) participating in a day long field trip that found us exploring on Harshaw Road outside of Patagonia, Arizona. We had run across a group that had seen Montezuma Quail along the road so we spent some time roaming around looking for them. We had no luck with the Quail, but a little later Scott got a text from the leader of the group saying they had located this owl on a hillside and gave us the coordinates. Once in the area we began looking and in short order Scott located the Northern Pygmy Owl. We spent about twenty minutes watching him and slowly making our way closer. He eventually flew, but I was able to get a few passable photos, as seen below. I was disappointed that I didn’t get the best of photos, but was delighted to have seen the owl! To see the eBird checklist that Scott filed related to these sightings, look here. To read my blog post about the trip that includes our visit to Harshaw Canyon on August 6, 2022, look here.
“Cool Facts” About the Northern Pygmy-Owl From All About Birds:
- When they find extra food, Northern Pygmy-Owls often cache their prey in tree cavities, or by hanging the prey on thorns, as shrikes are famous for doing.
- Most owls have asymmetrically placed ears as well as flattened facial discs around the eyes. Both of these features are adaptations that give them better hearing. Interestingly, Northern Pygmy-Owls lack these features, and this may be an outcome of their diurnal habits and greater reliance on vision.
- Small birds such as hummingbirds, wrens, warblers, jays, and blackbirds often mob Northern Pygmy-Owls—in fact, you may be able to find these owls by following a noisy commotion of songbirds focused on one spot.
- Northern Pygmy-Owls raise a pair of tufts on the sides of their head when threatened by a predator, such as a hawk or a cat. They also have a pair of spots on the back of the neck that look a little like eyes. Scientists think these markings may help fool attackers or mobbers into thinking the owl is watching them.
- Northern Pygmy-Owls, although not much larger than House Sparrows, sometimes take prey up to three times their own size, such as Northern Bobwhite, Northern Flicker, and even chickens!
- The oldest recorded Northern Pygmy-Owl was a male, and at least 3 years, 11 months old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Oregon.