Patagonian pygmy owl
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Patagonian pygmy owl ( Glaucidium nanum ) |
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| ( King , 1828) |
The Patagonian pygmy owl ( Glaucidium nanum ) is a small species of pygmy owl . It occurs exclusively in South America.
Appearance
The Patagonian pygmy owl reaches a body size of about 17 to 21 centimeters and is therefore a relatively large pygmy owl. Feather ears are missing. The Patagonian pygmy owl has a relatively conspicuous occipital face on the neck . The forehead and skull have noticeable light vertical stripes. The eyebrows and wax skin are whitish. The upper side of the body is dark gray-brown with white spots. The underside of the body is whitish with dark vertical stripes. The eyes are yellow.
In the north, the distribution area overlaps with that of a subspecies of the Brazilian pygmy owl . This subspecies is slightly more noticeably striped lengthways on the underside of the body than is the case with the Patagonian pygmy owl. The Peruvian pygmy owl is slightly smaller and has a rather spotted skull.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the Patagonian pygmy owl extends from the Argentine Patagonia to Tierra del Fuego . In Chile it occurs from the south of the Atacama Desert to Tierra del Fuego. He is basically a resident. However, single individuals occasionally migrate further north during severe winters. The habitat of the Patagonian pygmy owl is the open landscape with individual shrubs and groups of trees. Its height distribution ranges from sea level to altitudes of 1,500 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The Patagonian pygmy owl is partly diurnal. In principle, it is not a shy bird and can occasionally be observed during the day in exposed stand guard. Insects make up about fifty percent of its food spectrum. Small mammals and birds make up a large part of the remaining prey. Some of its prey is quite large. Its prey includes the Chilean partridge , which weighs around 160 grams, and the earmarked pigeon , which weighs an average of 137 grams.
The breeding season usually begins in August or September with courtship. The territory, which is partly aggressively defended by the male, is about one square kilometer. Tree holes are usually used as a nesting opportunity. The clutch consists of three to five white eggs. It is only the female that breeds and begins to breed as soon as the last egg is laid. In the wild, Patagonian pygmy owls live to be six to seven years old.
supporting documents
Single receipts
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
Web links
- Glaucidium nana inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2013.