Typical Owls (Strigidae)
Northern Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium californicum) - HBW 5, p. 211
French: Chevêchette des Rocheuses
German: Kalifornienzwergkauz
Spanish: Mochuelo Californiano
Other common names: Californian Pygmy-owl
Taxonomy: Glaucidium californicum P. L. Sclater, 1857, Calaveras County, California.
Sometimes considered to form superspecies with G. passerinum, G. brodiei, G. perlatum and G. gnoma (including recently separated G. cobanense and G. hoskinsii), but DNA evidence clearly shows that present species and G. passerinum are not closely related. Formerly treated as race of G. gnoma; split on basis mainly of vocalizations, DNA and ecology. Racial differences rather slight, based primarily on morphology; pinicola perhaps not valid. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- grinnelli Ridgway, 1914 - SE Alaska through coastal British Columbia S to coastal W USA (Washington, Oregon, California).
- swarthi Grinnell, 1913 - Vancouver I.
- californicum P. L. Sclater, 1857 - British Columbia and Alberta to W USA (S to Nevada and California) and NW Mexico (N Sonora, NW Chihuahua).
- pinicola Nelson, 1910 - W USA (Idaho and Montana S to Arizona and New Mexico, E to Colorado).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird that was mist netted, banded and then released. Locality San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA (United States) (ssp californicum)
Paul Clarke 17 June 2009 2 years ago 28 sec 4.3 -
An adult bird perched in its day roost Locality Ventura County, California, USA (United States) (ssp californicum)
Don DesJardin 28 February 2001 4 years ago 21 sec 3.8
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Sitting in conifer in broad daylight
Locality Olympic National Park, Washington State, USA (United States) (ssp grinnelli)
Alan Tate 1 November 2000 2 years ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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