Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

Sitio realizado por aficionados a la observación de aves desde 10 de enero 2006

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl - Historic records

Order: - Family: Strigidae

14-08-21 © Pablo Serur
31-07-21 © Eduardo Nicolás Cusano
31-07-21 © Sergio Cusano
08-05-21 © Milena LLopis
08-05-21 © Javier Guillermo González
27-04-21 © Hugo Aguilar
24-10-20 © J. Simón Tagtachian
24-10-20 © J. Simón Tagtachian
17-10-20 © Javier Guillermo González
17-10-20 © Javier Guillermo González
17-10-20 © Javier Guillermo González
22-02-20 © Javier Ubiría
22-02-20 © Javier Guillermo González
22-02-20 © Javier Guillermo González
06-10-19 © Sergio Cusano
06-10-19 © Lucas de Ciria
06-10-19 © Sergio Cusano
28-09-19 © Graciela Neira
31-08-19 © Javier Guillermo González
31-08-19 © Javier Guillermo González
Total: 117

Perched/standing

30-04-16 © Cora Rimoldi

Ignacio discovered the owl very far in a poplar. When it turns the head, you can see the fake eyes.

Perched/standing

26-09-15 © Cora Rimoldi

Behaviour

12-02-12 © Roberto Ares

Aves non gratae
Among the bird species present at Costanera the Southern Caracara and the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl are considered unwanted because they prey on birds, among other things. The birds know the risk they run when either of them are close. So they take courses of action that differ from one another.<

The Southern Caracara is stalked either solitarily or in pairs by the Chalk-browed Mockingbird (25 cm) and the Fork-tailed Flycatcher (38 cm) among other birds. They mob on the Caracara till it is driven away. It is chased and even pecked at on the wing. It seems funny to see how the big Caracara is driven away by a much smaller bird. Unlike the Caracara, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is small in size (15 cm) and is harrassed by several bird species. The owl's attitude is "I won't move". It stays undaunted in its place. There is a disconcerted flight around it with insisten screaming. A sort of public protest so noisy that it is a useful signal for observers to spot the owl. Otherwise, this small and cryptic bird is easily skipped in a tree.

In this case there was a Red-eyed Vireo, a male Masked Yellowthroat, a Small-billed Elaenia, a Streaked Flycatcher (not appearing in the video), three Masked Gnatcatchers and several Emeralds (definitely some females). All of them sounded very altered. The feathered ball which appears under the branch is the juvenile Small-billed Elaenia of the above photos. It held it tightly with the claws and stood motionless only moving its head to keep visual contact with the birds flying by. None of them attacked the owl. They only put pressure by flying very close to it. At a point it moved to another branch and stood there for a while till it left

Total: 3