410 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



GLAUCIDIUM GNOMA CALIFORN1CUM Sclater 

 CALIFORNIA PYGMY OWL 



Plates 90, 91 

 HABITS 



Contributed bt Milton Philo Skinner 



California has a variety of the pygmy owl that is browner in color 

 than the Kocky Mountain form. With reference to this browner 

 form, Dr. Louis B. Bishop (1931b) has published a very interesting 

 paper. He gives important data to prove his contention that pinicola 

 is but the gray male and californicum is the browner female of the 

 same subspecies. But, since I am following the latest A. O. U. Check- 

 List, I am here giving a life history of each subspecies as it has been 

 recorded up to the present time. The California form is not a dense- 

 forest lover; but, on the other hand, it is not usually found very far 

 from trees of some kind. In the humid coast region of northern Cali- 

 fornia, this form is replaced by the coast pygmy owl. C. W. Michael, 

 resident for many years in the Yosemite Valley, says: "One of the 

 most interesting birds of the Yosemite Valley is the little pygmy owl. 

 He is a tiny fellow, not much larger than the English sparrow. His 

 head is round and without ear tufts. His yellow eyes have a wise 

 and friendly look. His posture when perched is rather erect, and his 

 tail appears very short. His white breast is marked with clear black 

 pencilings, and his brownish gray back is checkered with small white 

 dots." 



Courtship. — One day, as Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Michael were watching 

 a pygmy owl, they heard it give a long, trilling note. "Evidently 

 this call was meant for the ears of his mate for almost immediately he 

 was joined by a second owl. The birds snuggled together shoulder to 

 shoulder in an affectionate attitude, and while in this position the 

 burden carried by the first bird was passed to the newcomer. The 

 second bird, which we took to be the female, at once proceeded to 

 pluck the feathers from the vireo." Since this was on June 2, 1927, 

 it was probably one of the last affectionate "snugglings" of the court- 

 ing season. Two years later, on the morning of April 20, 1929, Mr. 

 Michael saw another pygmy disappear into "a deserted woodpecker 

 hole. As I stood waiting for the owl to reappear there came the 

 familiar soft, fluttering trill of notes. Directed by the sound a second 

 owl was soon located. This second owl was perched on a branch 

 about ten feet from the nest hole. Again came the soft quaver of 

 notes, and this time as if in answer to the message the bird in the hole 

 poked his head out. After gazing about for a moment he left the hole 

 and flew to the calling bird. On fluttering wings he hesitated over 

 the perching bird and then settled gently to accomplish the supreme 



