Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Facts

Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) are one of three subspecies of the ferruginous pygmy-owl. They have longer tails than most owls, are reddish-brown with a cream colored belly and have a crown that is lightly streaked. Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls have yellow eyes and no ear tufts.

Fast Facts

Length: Average length is 6.7 inches.

Weight: The males average 2.2 ounces and females 2.6 ounces.

Diet

Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls mainly eat small birds, lizards, insects, small mammals, frogs and earthworms.

Population

Since 1996, authorities in Arizona have found anywhere from 12-41 adult pygmy owls a year, and in 2006, surveyors spotted only 28 owls. The population in northern Mexico is also imperiled, with a documented 4.4% decline per year for the past 7 years, or a 26% decline overall since 2000.

Range

The range of the western subspecies stretches from central and southern Arizona south through Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico. The eastern subspecies ranges from southern Texas and Tamaulipas to the remainder of states in Mexico. The remaining subspecies is found in South America. See a cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl range map >>

Did You Know?

Unlike many birds, cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls don't migrate.

Behavior

They produce a monotonous call of a series of short notes and are partly nocturnal (active during the night) and diurnal (active during the day).

Reproduction
Mating Season: Late winter to early spring.
Gestation: 28 days.
Clutch size: 3-5 eggs.
In late in the winter or early spring cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls begin nesting in the cavities of trees or cacti like the saguaro and organ pipe. These holes have often been made by woodpeckers.Owlets leave their nest 28 days after hatching.

Climate Change and Other Threats

Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl are threatened by habitat loss, particularly the loss of at least 85% of Arizona’s riparian areas due to development, livestock grazing, water withdrawal and other factors. Climate change may worsen other threats, particularly the spread of invasive species and an increase in fires.

One of the most important invasive species in the Sonoran desert is buffel grass, which was widely planted as a forage grass. In sharp contrast to the patchy distribution of native vegetation, buffel grass forms a continuous cover, allowing fires to travel across large areas, killing saguaros and other native plant species that are not well adapted to fires. The extended droughts being wrought by climate change are increasing this fire risk and further threatening the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl.

Defenders at Work

Defenders of Wildlife's legal team has a long history of involvement with the listing of the pygmy-owl. See a timeline of Defenders' legal work to protect our cactus ferruginous pygmy owls and their natural habitats in and around Tucson, AZ.

Read more about how the Arizona population of pygmy-owls lost their federal protections in the legal case National Association of Home Builders v. Kempthorne.

Defenders of Wildlife is also funding critical research on population trends of Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls on both sides the US-Mexico border. Unfortunately this science continues to confirm that the status of the western population of pygmy-owls is in dire straits. Read more >>

Legal Status/Protection

Endangered Species Act (ESA): The cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1997, but was removed from the list as a result of litigation by development industry groups. In March 2007, Defenders of Wildlife and other groups filed a petition to re-list the species as endangered.
CITES: Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls are listed in Appendix II.
Learn more about legal status and protection of cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl >>

How You Can Help

Help pygmy owls and other wildlife by adopting an animal at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.