By Aranza Blanca

Liberty Wildlife Contributor

The ferruginous pygmy owl can be found in south-central Arizona and southern Texas in the U.S but can be found south through Mexico and Central America to South America into countries like Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. It resides in mesquite thickets, desert riverine woods, and saguaros. Its diet includes insects, birds, rodents, and lizards. It lays 3 to 4, sometimes 5 eggs and incubation is about 28 days, the young first learn to fly at about 27-30 days old.

The ferruginous pygmy owl was initially listed as an endangered species in 1997. In 2006, a lawsuit by the National Association of Home Builders claimed that the actual population in Arizona might be uncertain due to larger populations in Mexico. Following the lawsuit, the owl became de-listed and is now no longer protected.

However, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service submitted a proposal in December of 2021 to classify the ferruginous pygmy owl as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Population range and size in Arizona is less than half of what it was in the 1920s or 30s due to climate change and habitat loss. The bird’s habitat will become hotter and drier therefore affecting prey availability and vegetation cover that the owl needs for nesting, hiding from predators, and keeping itself cool. The clearing of its habitat for city expansion, agriculture, and wood production will significantly increase habitat loss,leaving them with no home as these owls do not migrate and stick to small home ranges.

In order to push for re-enlistment, a Species Status Assessment has to be submitted. This looks at the current status and outlook for the birds. Three factors that include representation, resiliency, and redundancy gauge the overall health of the populations and the likelihood that a species will survive far into the future. These 3R’s determine if there are enough individuals and connected groups across the range that a species is unlikely to go extinct even if random, unwanted events were to occur. They then analyze and evaluate several different outlooks for the bird’s population and well-being over the next 30 years. Outlooks such as if threats continue but don’t increase, if threats increase, and if threats are reduced. Unfortunately, in the majority of different outlooks the future for the birds looks dull except for in western Mexico. The likelihood of the birds successfully surviving is low or moderate if no further extensive intervention is applied.

With this information in hand, it is hopeful that the ferruginous pygmy owl will be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act by the end of this year. If listed once again, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service will pursue action towards possibly designating a critical habitat, as there is more flexibility with a threatened species vs an endangered one. Other strategies to increase the population of the ferruginous pygmy owl include captive breeding.

*Previously published April 2022