Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl

The Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl is a scarce resident of Ecuador’s humid montane forests, ranging along both Andean slopes from about 1,500 to 3,500 m. It is most often detected by its high-pitched, repetitive whistles at dawn or dusk, though it can also be seen perched quietly in dense vegetation. The species hunts actively during daylight and twilight hours, preying on small birds, insects, and other vertebrates with swift, direct attacks. Owing to its dependence on intact cloud forest and ongoing deforestation in the Andes, it is considered Vulnerable, with populations thought to be declining despite its broad distribution.