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Article: A river ran through it. (ecosystem of pygmy owl)
- Article from:
- Animals
- Article date:
- March 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The cactus ferruginous pygmy owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum). If its common name doesn't tell all, it says a lot.
Barely six inches long and weighing just over two ounces, the owl is a gray brown to reddish brown color known as ferruginous -- from the Latin ferrum, "iron." Paired black-and-white spots on the nape suggest eyes. The bird's actual eyes are yellow, its crown lightly streaked, and its tail long for an owl, colored rufous with dark bars.
It nests in cavities of saguaro and organ-pipe cacti, often naturally occurring holes or those excavated by woodpeckers. The owl begins nesting late winter to early spring, laying three to five eggs, ...