Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium costaricanum
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
- FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
- GenusGlaucidium (Pygmy-Owls and Typical Owlets)
- SpeciesGlaucidium costaricanum (Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl)
About the Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
The Costa Rican pygmy owl (Glaucidium costaricanum) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Initially, the Costa Rican pygmy owl was described as a subspecies of the Andean pygmy owl (G. jardinii); in 2000, the North American Classification Committee (NACC), of what was then the American Ornithologists' Union (now the American Ornithological Society), accepted it as a separate species, with other taxonomic systems following-suit. The Costa Rican pygmy owl is more closely related to the northern pygmy owl complex (G. gnoma sensu lato) than to the Andean. The species is monotypic.
The Costa Rican pygmy owl is around 14.5 to 17 cm (5.7 to 6.7 in) long, with males weighing about 53 to 70 g (1.9 to 2.5 oz), while the larger females weigh as much as 99 g (3.5 oz). Adults have two color morphs; one is mostly brown and the other is rufous. The head and upper body parts are a basal color with lighter, paler spots; the tail is the same color, with four white bands and a white tip. The nape has a pair of blackish spots with pale borders that resemble "eyes" on the back of the head. The breast and belly... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl in Irazú Volcano National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Irazú Volcano National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl in Irazú Volcano National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl sighting in Irazú Volcano National Park, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl in Irazú Volcano National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl in Irazú Volcano National Park in our monthly data.