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Cuban Pygmy Owl | Glaucidium siju
Cubaanse dwerguil | Sijú platanero
The Cuban Pygmy Owl is the smallest owl in Cuba and one of the island's commonest endemics. It is active both by day and at night and often sits in plain view on a branch, flicking its tail. Songbirds keep a close watch on it and give loud alarm calls when they find it.
Voice
The male sings a series of more or less evenly spaced, hollow notes, roughly oo-oo-oo-oo. In alarm both sexes give a rapid, accelerating series of higher, squeaky notes.
Recording: FREDERIC Lionel — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · converted to mono · xeno-canto
Identification
16–17 cm, small and compact, with a round head without ear tufts, yellow eyes and whitish to cinnamon eyebrows over a pale grey face. There are two colour morphs: a commoner grey-brown and a rufous one. The upperparts are brown with fine pale barring and the tail is barred. On the nape are two dark 'false eyes' edged pale. The breast is barred brown, the belly white with brown streaks. Females average heavier than males.
Confusion species
Bare-legged Owl Margarobyas lawrencii is slightly larger, with dark eyes and long bare legs, and is strictly nocturnal. Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia has a shorter tail and long legs and lives in open country. No other pygmy owl occurs in Cuba.
Habitat
Almost all forest types: coastal forest, dry and semi-evergreen broadleaf forest, limestone forest, pine forest and montane forest from sea level to about 1,500 m; also pasture with scattered trees, plantations and town parks. It hunts from a perch for insects and small lizards, sometimes small birds, mammals and frogs. It nests from November to April in natural tree cavities and woodpecker holes, laying three to four eggs.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation types of the Caribbean.
Range and movements
Only in Cuba and Isla de la Juventud, widespread and common across the whole island. Three subspecies are recognised: the nominate on the main island, turquinense on Pico Turquino and vittatum on Isla de la Juventud. The species does not occur outside Cuba.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In almost any forest, for example on the Zapata Peninsula and in the Sierra del Rosario, including by day. A group of scolding songbirds in a tree is often the best lead; the owl itself usually sits still on a branch in the middle of the commotion.
Conservation status
Not threatened and common. Clearance of small woods and trees with cavities affects its habitat locally.
Scientific name
Glaucidium siju | (d'Orbigny, ACVMD, 1839)
D'Orbigny, ACVMD described the species in 1839 as Noctua siju; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Glaucidium was introduced in 1826 by Boie. Glaucidium is Greek glaukidion 'little owl' or 'owlet', a diminutive of glaux 'owl'. siju is the Cuban vernacular name sijú for this little owl. The specimen the first description was based on came from Cuba.