Pygmy owl
| Pygmy owls Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Recent | |
|---|---|
| African barred owlet | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Glaucidium F. Boie, 1826 |
| Type species | |
| Strix passerina Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
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See text | |
Pygmy owls are members of the genus Glaucidium. They belong to the typical owl family, Strigidae. The genus consists of 29 species distributed worldwide. These are mostly small owls, and some of the species are called "owlets". The genus includes nocturnal, diurnal, and crepuscular species. Birds in this genus mainly hunt large insects and other small prey.