Glaucidium peruanum
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Pacific pygmy owl (Glaucidium peruanum), or Peruvian pygmy owl, is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The Peruvian pygmy owl was first described as a species by Claus König, a German ornithologist, in 1991. Until then it had been treated as a subspecies of the widespread ferruginous pygmy owl (G. brasilianum). König separated the two primarily by their vocal differences; their ranges do not overlap. The Pacific pygmy owl is monotypic.
The Pacific pygmy owl is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long. Males weigh about 60 g (2.1 oz) and females about 65 g (2.3 oz). In addition to being heavier, females also have slightly longer wings and tails than males, but both sexes have the same plumage. The species has gray, brown, and rufous color morphs, with the first two predominating. The upperparts of gray morph adults are grayish brown with buff streaks on the forecrown and buff spots on the crown and nape. An incomplete white "collar" and oval black spots on the neck give the appearance of eyes. The shoulders and back have whitish spots. The tail is also grayish brown, with up to seven whitish... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 3 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque Cóndor | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Peruvian Pygmy-Owl sighting in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 324th most-seen of the 446 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Peruvian Pygmy-Owl in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Peruvian Pygmy-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Peruvian Pygmy-Owl sightings, Podocarpus National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Machalilla National Park (Ecuador, about 20%) and Lauca National Park (Chile, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Peruvian Pygmy-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Podocarpus National Park (19 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
