Colima pygmy owl
{{Short description|Species of owl}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Colima Pygmy Owl.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status2 = CITES_A2
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}
| genus = Glaucidium
| species = palmarum
| authority = Nelson, 1901
| range_map = Glaucidium palmarum map.svg
| range_map_caption = Distribution of Colima pygmy owl {{leftlegend|green|Resident}}
}}
The Colima pygmy owl (Glaucidium palmarum) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the western part of Mexico.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/ |title=IOC World Bird List (v 11.2) |last1=Gill |first1= F. |last2=Donsker|first2=D.|last3=Rasmussen |first3=P. |date=July 2021 |access-date=July 14, 2021 }}
Taxonomy and systematics
The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) treats the Colima pygmy owl as monotypic. However, the Clements taxonomy and Handbook of the Birds of the World recognize three subspecies, the nominate Glaucidium palmarum palmarum, G. p. oberholseri, and G. p. griscomi.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 25, 2021HBW and BirdLife International (2020) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world Version 5. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip [.xls zipped 1 MB] retrieved May 27, 2021
Description
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2025}}
The Colima pygmy owl is {{convert|13|to|15|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. Male specimens weigh {{convert|43|to|48|g|oz|abbr=on}} and females are noted as heavier without quantification. The head and back are brown, the wings mostly grayish brown, and the tail a deeper grayish brown. The head has small dull white spots. White spots show along the closed wing and the tail has oval white spots forming bands across it. The face has dull white "eyebrows" and the nape has a pair of dark "eye spots". The underparts are buffy white with wide cinnamon stripes.
Distribution and habitat
The Colima pygmy owl is found in western Mexico from central Sonora south to Oaxaca, ranging from sea level up to {{convert|1500|m|ft|abbr=on}} in elevation. It inhabits several types of forests including thorn, tropical deciduous, lowland tropical evergreen, and the lower parts of humid montane forests. It is also found in coffee plantations.{{cite taxon |BOW |citation=Schulenberg, T. S. (2020). Colima Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium palmarum), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.copowl1.01 |access-date=September 6, 2021}}
Behavior
=Feeding=
=Breeding=
The Colima pygmy owl's breeding phenology is essentially unknown. It is thought to be socially monogamous and is presumed to nest in tree cavities.
=Vocalization=
Status
The IUCN has assessed the Colima pygmy owl as being of Least Concern. Though its population has not been enumerated, the species has been described as fairly common to very common throughout its large range and the population appears to be stable.