Northern Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium gnoma
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.
Identification
The northern pygmy owl (Glaucidium gnoma) is a small owl native to western North America. Seven subspecies are accepted, of which three have sometimes been treated as separate species.
Taxonomy
Genus: Glaucidium; Family: Strigidae; Order: Strigiformes.
- Scientific name
- Glaucidium gnoma
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Glaucidium
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Tucuman Mountain Finch
Poospiza baeri
Chunky tanager restricted to a small range of habitat in NW Argentina. Prefers wooded ravines and scrub in upper elevations of eastern Andes. Singly or in pairs, rarely joins mixed-species flocks. Larger and longer tailed than Warbling-Finches, with rufous throat on gray breast distinctive.
Slaty-legged Crake
Rallina eurizonoides
Small, chickenlike dweller of dense forests and tangled edges. Dark brown above, with orange head and breast and black-and-white-striped sides. Juvenile similar but with brown head and breast, narrower white stripes below. Dark lead-gray legs distinguish this species from Red-legged, Band-bellied, and Ruddy-breasted crakes, which also show different underpart patterns. Sings at night from favored tree perches, a series of doubled hoots that recall Mountain Scops-Owl.
Red-headed Quelea
Quelea erythrops
The red head of the breeding male is distinctive. Non-breeding male and female are nondescript, streaky brown birds with buffy eyebrows. Found in moist grassland and savanna. Most records are of territorial breeding males. Becomes inconspicuous when not breeding, mixing with flocks of other weavers and seedeaters. The call is a rough “jyet”, and the song is an unmusical chattering. Breeding male very similar to breeding male Cardinal Quelea but has more red on the nape and less on the breast, producing a more cleanly “hooded” look.
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