Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Scientific name:  Glaucidium brasilianum
Family Name:  Strigidae

Are they endangered?  No, they are not endangered worldwide. [IUCN Red list: Least concern].  They are, however, endangered in parts of the United States [Arizona].

What are their past/present problems?  They are endangered because people have been building which means habitat loss.  Another reason is that farmers are using their land for their animals to graze on.  These are reasons why some people are trying to stop them from being taken off of the endangered species list.  There are only about 30 of these owls in Arizona and if they are taken off the list, people can build houses on the land. 

What do they look like?  These birds are mostly brown with white spots.  Their bellies are white with brown streaks.  Their eyes are yellow.  They are tiny!

How big are they?  These birds are about 6 inches long.  If they spread out their wings all of the way, they would be 15 inches wide.  They are a small raptor.

How many eggs do they lay?  Females lay from 3 to 5 white eggs once a year.  The eggs hatch in about a month.

How long do the fledglings stay in the nest?  They nest in holes in trees and holes that woodpeckers left.  The young birds (owlets) leave the nest in a month.

When do they hunt?  They hunt during the day at dawn and dusk. (diurnal)

What do they eat?  They eat insects, scorpions, and MICE!  Sometimes they grab prey that is bigger than they are!

Where do they live?  They live in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America.

What kind of place do they like to live in?  They like to live in deserts that have cactus.  They stay in low areas, not mountainous ones that are dry. 

Interesting facts:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to take them off the endangered list.  Some people like this idea because it would open up a whole lot of land for development.  So far, it is staying on the endangered species list.

Works Cited:

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Biology.  4 Feb. 2008.  <http://www.owling.com/Ferrug_nh.htm>.

Glaucidium brasilianum.  4 Feb. 2008.  <http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/48572/all>.