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| MEASUREMENTS: The Northern Pygmy-Owl has a body length of 7 - 8 inches, a wingspan of 15 - 16 inches, and weighs about 2 - 2 1/2 ounces. |
 HABITAT: This owl can be found at forest edges near meadows, lakes, coastline, and forest clearings in deciduous and coniferous forests of western North and Central America. |
| DIET: The main diet of the Northern Pygmy-Owl is small birds and rodents, and large insects. Occasionally, they will eat reptiles and amphibians. Pygmy-owls are diurnal(active during the day) and crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) hunters. This owl will search for prey from a perch, pouncing upon it from a close distance when prey is found. |
| REPRODUCTION: The Northern Pygmy-Owl nests in tree cavities. The female usually lays 3 - 5 eggs. Unlike most owls, which start incubating the eggs soon after the first eggs are laid, the pygmy-owl does not start incubation until all the eggs have been laid. In about 29 days all the chicks hatch within a short time of each other. The young owlets fledge at 30 days and are independent of parental care 20 - 30 days later. The young owls become sexually mature in less than a year. |
| NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Greek words glaux, indicating a little owl; glaukidion, meaning to gleam or glare, and may refer to the eyes of the owl; and gnoma, referring to knowledge, reasoning, or an opinion. The common name indicates the size of the bird and its northern range. This owl has also been called a Gnome Owl. |
INTERESTING FACTS:
- Unlike hawks, falcons, and eagles, owls do not have an expandable part of the esophagus, called a crop, to store extra food. Therefore owls, like pygmy-owls, will cache the remainder of their food in a hiding place and eat it later. This is especially important for small, high-energy species that must eat frequently.
- Since pygmy-owls are active during daylight, they rely on their sense of sight to hunt. Consequently, this owl did not develop a good sense of hearing, silent flight, nor exceptional night vision, like nocturnal owls.
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