The Baja pygmy owl (''Glaucidium hoskinsii'') or cape pygmy owl, is a subspecies of

northern pygmy owl The northern pygmy owl (''Glaucidium californicum'') is a small owl native to western North America. Taxonomy Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, separate this species from the mountain pygmy owl, the ...

restricted to the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state of

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

. Although some taxonomists, including the

International Ornithologists' Union The International Ornithologists' Union, formerly known as the International Ornithological Committee, is a group of about 200 international ornithologists, and is responsible for the International Ornithological Congress and other international ...

, consider it to be a distinct species, other authorities, including the

American Ornithological Society The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its ...

, do not consider it separate, and consider it to be a subspecies of the

Classification

The American Ornithological Society considers the Baja pygmy owl a subspecies of the northern pygmy owl, ''Glaucidium gnoma'' (as it does several other populations). It has also been classified as a subspecies of the least pygmy owl. However, it is given the status of a separate species here following the ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. ...

''. According to one authority, DNA evidence suggests that the two species are not closely related.

Etymology

The epithet ''hoskinsii'' commemorates Francis Hoskins, an assistant to Marston Abbott Frazar, an

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

who the American businessman George Burritt Sennett paid to collect birds in the 1880s. The first specimen of the Baja pygmy owl was collected on one of Frazar's expeditions.

Description

It is 15 to 16.5 cm or 17 cm (6 to 7 inches) long and weighs 50 to 65 g (1.8–2.3 oz). Its plumage is sandy gray-brown, with females typically more reddish than males. Unlike many related owls, it does not seem to have gray and red morphs. The adult's crown and back have many pale spots, which are biggest on the scapular feathers (i.e., where the wings join the back). The tail is long for an owl and is crossed by five or six pale bars. The underparts are off-white with brown streaks. The face shows little contrast except for white "false eyebrows". Like other pygmy owls (''Glaucidium''), it has yellow irises and a yellow bill, as well as two white-outlined black triangles on the back of the neck that suggest eyespots. The commonly heard call is distinctly different from that of other pygmy owls in the region: a ''hoo hoo'' lasting about two seconds, with five to fifteen seconds between double hoots. This species occasionally begins a bout of hooting with up to five hoots in series. It may also utter "a rapid, slightly quavering ''huhuhu…''" that may lead to hooting.

Range and habitat

The cape pygmy owl is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to Baja California Sur from the

Sierra de la Laguna The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges System. It is located in La Paz Municipality and Los Cabos Municipality of sou ...

in the Cape District, where it is fairly common, to the

Sierra de la Giganta The Sierra de la Giganta is a mountain range of eastern Baja California Sur state, located on the southern Baja California Peninsula in northwestern Mexico. It is a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, which extends from Southern Cal ...

at least as far north as 26.5°N. It inhabits

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

and pine-

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

woods from 1500 to 2100 m (5000–7000 ft.) in altitude. In winter it can descend to 500 m (1,640 ft.).

References

External links

Page with images and sound recording
from Owling.com. Accessed Sept. 25, 2007. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1630399 Baja pygmy owl Birds of Mexico Endemic birds of Western Mexico Baja pygmy owl Taxa named by William Brewster (ornithologist)