Pernambuco pygmy owl

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Pernambuco pygmy owl (Glaucidium mooreorum)

The Pernambuco pygmy owl is a tiny bird found only in Pernambuco state, in northeastern Brazil. It measures about 13 cm long and weighs around 51 g. Its face has white and brown streaks, the crown is light grey-chestnut with white spots, the back is chestnut, and the tail has white spots. It belongs to a group of very small owls in the Glaucidium minutissimum complex.

It was described as a new species in 2002, from two old skins collected in 1980 and 1990, after researchers noticed differences in color and calls. The owl’s natural home is humid forest canopy near the forest edge, at elevations up to about 150 meters.

Very little is known about its diet, but one observation recorded a large cicada. It is believed to eat small invertebrates, and possibly small vertebrates as well.

The Pernambuco pygmy owl has a short song consisting of 5–7 notes that rise in pitch. It has not been seen since 2001 despite targeted searches.

Conservation status: The IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered and Possibly Extinct. If it still exists, it likely has a tiny, declining population in a very small range—probably fewer than 50 adults. The main threat is loss and fragmentation of its forest habitat. It is listed in CITES Appendix II.