Notes on the natural history of Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owls (Glaucidium nubicola) in Ecuador/Notas sobre la historia natural del mochuelo Glaucidium nubicola en Ecuador

This study reports on findings about the natural history of the Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium nubicola). Recently described as a species, the general ecology of the Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl remains poorly documented. Three banded individuals at a private reserve in the province of Pichincha, Ecuador, are used to describe its habitat use, diet items, and individual longevity. Our observations suggest this local population prefers wet primary cloud forest and appears to have a generalist diet. Multiple recaptures of a banded individual indicate a longevity record of 5 years. Additionally, ectoparasites were found on 2 out of 3 captured individuals. Received 10 April 2020. Accepted 22 July 2021. Key words: diet, habitat, lifespan, Neotropical owl, parasite, raptor, Strigidae. Este estudio reporta hallazgos sobre la historia natural del mochuelo Glaucidium nubicola. Recientemente descrito como especie, su ecología general se encuentra escasamente documentada. Usamos datos de 3 individuos anillados en una reserva privada en la provincia de Pichincha, Ecuador, para describir su uso de hábitat, ítems de su dieta y longevidad individual. Nuestras observaciones sugieren que esta población local prefiere bosques primarios húmedos y parece tener una dieta generalista. Su longevidad, según múltiples recapturas de individuos anillados, indican un récord de 5 años de edad. Adicionalmente, encontramos ectoparásitos de 2 de los 3 individuos capturados. Palabras clave: búho neotropical, dieta, hábitat, longevidad, parásito, rapaz, Strigidae.
Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owls (Glaucidium nubicola) are small, range-restricted owls of the northwestern Andes (Freile and Restall 2018, BirdLife International 2021). Historically, this species was overlooked due to its parapatric distribution and [...]