Cuban Pygmy-Owl

About the Cuban Pygmy-Owl

The Cuban pygmy owl (Glaucidium siju) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to Cuba. The Cuban pygmy owl has three subspecies, the nominate Glaucidium siju siju, G. s. turquinense, and G. s. vittatum.

The Cuban pygmy owl is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long. Males weigh 47 to 68 g (1.7 to 2.4 oz) and females 66 to 102 g (2.3 to 3.6 oz). It has two color morphs, gray-brown and rufous; the former is more common. Both morphs have a pale grayish face, whitish to cinnamon "brows" over yellow eyes, and a pair of dark "false eyes" on the nape. The nominate gray-brown morph's crown, sides of the head, and back are grayish brown with white spots; the shoulders have diffuse dark barring. The tail is also grayish brown, with white bars. The throat is brown, the sides of the breast and flanks brown with darker bars, the center of the breast white, and the rest of the underparts off-white with dark brown streaks and spots. The rufous morph replaces the gray-brown with cinnamon. G. s. turquinense is much darker and has fewer spots on the upperparts. G. s. vittatum is larger than the nominate and the barring on the shoulders is... Wikipedia →