Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium nubicola)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium nubicola Robbins & Stiles, 1999

78 gWeight

The cloud-forest pygmy owl or cloudforest pygmy owl (Glaucidium nubicola) is a short, muscular, small-sized species of owl found throughout the Andes of western Colombia and north-western Ecuador, being confined to cloud forests between 900–2000 m a.s.l.

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Ecuador, Colombia

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl has been recorded at 52 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Refugio Paz de las AvesEcuador898 records
  2. Camino Montezuma – La ClaritaColombia290 records
  3. Camino Montezuma – Los CajonesColombia232 records
More places
  1. Santa Lucia LodgeEcuador226 records
  2. Las Tangaras ProAves ReserveColombia223 records
  3. PNN Tatamá – Camino MontezumaColombia205 records
  4. RN Río NambíColombia165 records
  5. Séptimo ParaisoEcuador152 records
  6. Reserva Mashpi-AmagusaEcuador149 records
  7. Mindo LindoEcuador141 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EcuadorColombia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The cloud-forest pygmy owl or cloudforest pygmy owl (Glaucidium nubicola) is a short, muscular, small-sized species of owl found throughout the Andes of western Colombia and north-western Ecuador, being confined to cloud forests between 900–2000 m a.s.l. Below this altitudinal range the Central American pygmy owl (Glaucidium griseiceps) occurs; above it, the Andean pygmy owl (Glaucidium jardinii) occurs.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl?

The Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl weighs around 78 g.

Where does the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl live?

Its breeding range: South America: Colombia and Ecuador. It is most often recorded in Ecuador and Colombia.

When is the best time to see the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl as Vulnerable.

What does the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Weight
78 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
92 mm
Tail
44 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
17 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America: Colombia and Ecuador

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Glaucidium

Other birds in the genus Glaucidium

Eurasian Pygmy OwlEurasian Pygmy OwlGlaucidium passerinumPearl-spotted OwletPearl-spotted OwletGlaucidium perlatumRed-chested OwletRed-chested OwletGlaucidium tephronotumSjöstedt's Barred OwletSjöstedt's Barred OwletGlaucidium sjostedtiAsian Barred OwletAsian Barred OwletGlaucidium cuculoidesJavan OwletJavan OwletGlaucidium castanopterumJungle OwletJungle OwletGlaucidium radiatumChestnut-backed OwletChestnut-backed OwletGlaucidium castanotumAfrican Barred OwletAfrican Barred OwletGlaucidium capenseAlbertine OwletAlbertine OwletGlaucidium albertinumNorthern Pygmy OwlNorthern Pygmy OwlGlaucidium californicumMountain Pygmy OwlMountain Pygmy OwlGlaucidium gnoma
Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nick Athanas. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages