Nombre en español: Mochuelo Peruano

Nombre en inglés: Peruvian Pygmy-Owl

Nombre científico: Glaucidium peruanum

Familia: Strigidae

Categorías: Hipotéticas

El chuncho del norte. lechucita peruana, mochuelo del Pacífico o mochuelo peruano​ (Glaucidium peruanum) es una especie de búho de la familia Strigidae. La especie es nativa de Ecuador, Perú y Chile.​ Habita una variedad de biomas incluyendo bosque húmedo montano tropical y subtropical.​ No tiene subespecies reconocidas.​

El Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (también conocido como búho pigmeo del Pacífico) se distingue por ser el único búho pigmeo que se da en las tierras bajas de la vertiente occidental de los Andes. En los valles intermontanos, donde su área de distribución se solapa con la de Yungas Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium bolivianum), se separa mejor por sus vocalizaciones y su preferencia por hábitats más secos. Peruvian Pygmy-Owls comúnmente cazador diurno en bosques secos y matorrales, y con frecuencia habita en zonas pobladas. Las aves de las tierras bajas suelen ser de color más rufo que las que se encuentran a mayor altitud, ya que tienen un aspecto más pálido y canela. Las aves de alta elevación tienden a ser de color gris más oscuro o marrón, con manchas blancas más extendidas por todas partes. Peruvian Pygmy-Owl se confundía hasta hace poco con el muy extendido Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum), pero el rápido canto silbado de Peruvian Pygmy-Owl es muy diferente de los lentos toques del ferruginoso.

Distribución

La lechuza pigmea peruana es residente en la vertiente occidental de los Andes, desde el suroeste de Ecuador a través de Perú hasta el norte de Chile, y también se da localmente en valles intermontanos semiáridos. Su distribución en Ecuador se extiende hacia el norte hasta el norte de Manabí, el sur de Pichincha y Los Ríos (Ridgely y Greenfield 2001a). Se da a lo largo de toda la vertiente del Pacífico de Perú. También se da en los valles semiáridos del Marañón, el alto Huallaga, el Apurímac y el alto Urubamba. La distribución se extiende hacia el sur en Chile a través de Tarapacá hasta el norte de Antofagasta (Jaramillo 2003).

La distribución elevacional en Ecuador es principalmente por debajo de 1200 m, pero se extiende hasta 1500-2000 m localmente en El Oro y Azuay, y localmente hasta 2400 m en Loja (Ridgely y Greenfield 2001a). Ocurre en Perú hasta los 3300 m (Schulenberg et al. 2007), y hasta los 3500 m en Chile (Jaramillo 2003).

Endémica de las Américas.

Pacific pygmy owl

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.

Taxonomy and systematics

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.

Description

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 bars across it. The throat is white, the sides of the breast grayish brown, and the rest of the underparts whitish with rufuous streaks. The other morphs replace the grayish brown with dark brown or rufous respectively. In addition, the bars on the rufous morph’s tail are rusty brown or orange-buff and the streaking on the underparts is more diffuse than on the other two morphs. In all morphs the eye is lemon yellow and the bill and feet yellow-green. Juveniles have essentially the same plumage as adults but their crown has no streaks or spots.

Distribution and habitat

The Pacific pygmy owl is found on the western slope of the Andes from Manabí, Pichincha, and Los Ríos provinces in north-central Ecuador south through Peru into Chile as far as the Antofagasta Region. It also is found in several semiarid valleys within the western Andes. In Ecuador it usually occurs from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of elevation but is locally found as high as 2,400 m (7,900 ft). In Peru it occurs up to 3,300 m (10,800 ft) and in Chile up to 3,500 m (11,500 ft). The species inhabits a variety of moist to arid landscapes including deciduous and riparian forest, arid lowland and montane scrublands, agricultural areas with large trees, and gardens in built-up areas.

Behavior

Movement

The Pacific pygmy owl is a year-round resident throughout its range.

Feeding

The Pacific pygmy owl hunts both day and night, generally from the forest’s mid-level to the canopy. Its diet has not been defined in detail but is known to include birds, small mammals and other vertebrates, and large arthropods.

Breeding

Almost nothing is known about the Pacific pygmy-owl’s breeding phenology, although it is assumed to be like that of other members of genus Glaucidium. It is known to nest in tree cavities and has been recorded breeding in old nests of the pale-legged hornero (Furnarius leucopus) and in holes in walls and river banks.

Vocalization

The Pacific pygmy owl’s song has been described as «a series of rapidly delivered pü notes» and also as «rapid…rising hoots: poop’poop’poop’poop…..» It also makes «chirping and thin warbling notes.» Vocal differences enable it to be separated from the similar Yungas pygmy owl (G. bolivianum) where their ranges overlap.

Status

The IUCN has assessed the Pacific pygmy owl as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No specific threats have been identified. It is considered common in Ecuador and fairly common to common in Peru. «It tolerates human presence, as long as cavities are available for nesting, and even occurs in town plazas and in gardens.»

Fuentes: Wikipedia/eBird/xeno-canto/Birds of the World