Amazonian Pygmy-Owl

Amazonian Pygmy-Owl

Glaucidium hardyi

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tambopata National Reserve

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

487 Verified sightings at Tambopata National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
730 In all 3 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Amazonian Pygmy-Owl

The Amazonian pygmy owl (Glaucidium hardyi), also known as Hardy's pygmy owl, is an owl found in northern South America and the Amazon Basin. A member of the Strigidae family, it is a true owl. The Amazonian pygmy owl is a member of the Strigidae family, the true owls. It is in the genus Glaucidium, the pygmy owls, which are widely distributed across the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia. Until 1989, the Amazonian pygmy owl was not considered distinct from the least pygmy owl (Glaucidium minutissimum). New research suggested that the Amazonian pygmy owl was distinct, restricting the least pygmy owl to Atlantic forests of southeastern Brazil. The holotype for the species is located at the Department of Zoology at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil. Phylogenetic studies on Glaucidium have been limited, but some analyses suggest that the Amazonian pygmy owl is closely related to the Andean pygmy owl (Glaucidium jardinii) and the Yungas pygmy owl (Glaucidium bolivianum).

The Amazonian pygmy owl is very small, which is indicated by its name "glaucidium", meaning little owl. Adults have a large round head that is spotted with... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:03

Peru · 2024

© Richard E. Webster · XC964930 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Canto1:13

Brazil · 2015

© Caio Brito · XC427416 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:04

Brazil · 2023

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC821798 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
2 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
3 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl in Tambopata National Reserve?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 487 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 88th most-seen of the 550 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl in Tambopata National Reserve?

February, May and July–August

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Amazonian Pygmy-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Tambopata National Reserve the best place to see an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Amazonian Pygmy-Owl sightings, Tambopata National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%) and Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, under 5%).

Where does the Amazonian Pygmy-Owl sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Amazonian Pygmy-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (487 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.

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