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

Guatemalan Pygmy Owl (left)' and Red-chested Owlet (right); illustration by Keulemans, 1875

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

• Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium passerinum
• Collared Owlet, Glaucidium brodiei
• Pearl-spotted Owlet, Glaucidium perlatum
• Northern Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium (gnoma) californicum
  • Mountain Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium gnoma gnoma
  • Guatemalan Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium (gnoma) cobanense
  • Cape Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium (gnoma) hoskinsii
• Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium costaricanum
• Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium nubicola
• Andean Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium jardinii
• Yungas Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium bolivianum
• Colima Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium palmarum
• Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium sanchezi
• Central American Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium griseiceps
• Subtropical Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium parkeri
• Amazonian Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium hardyi
• Pernambuco Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium mooreorum
• East Brazilian Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium minutissimum
• Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium brasilianum
  • Ridgway's Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium (brasilianum) ridgwayi (species or subspecies)
  • Tucuman Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium (brasilianum) tucumanum (species or subspecies)
• Pacific Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium peruanum
• Austral Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium nanum
• Cuban Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium siju
• Red-chested Owlet, Glaucidium tephronotum
• Sjostedt's Barred Owlet, Glaucidium sjostedti
• Asian Barred Owlet, Glaucidium cuculoides
• Javan Owlet, Glaucidium castanopterum
• Jungle Owlet, Glaucidium radiatum
• Chestnut-backed Owlet, Glaucidium castanonotum
• African Barred Owlet, Glaucidium capense
  • Ngami Owlet, Glaucidium (capense) ngamiense
  • Scheffler's Owlet, Glaucidium (capense) scheffleri
• Albertine Owlet, Glaucidium albertinum
• Chestnut Owlet, Glaucidium castaneum

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).

References

• Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe: 215. Ninox Press, Prague. ISBN 80-901105-3-8 PDF fulltext