ROCKY MOUNTAIN PYGMY OWL 401 



Enemies. — Bendire quotes J. F. Menge as saying that "many of 

 their nests are yearly destroyed by skunks and opossums, who seem to 

 be very fond of the eggs." Mr. Hoxie tells me that it has been quite a 

 common practice for the cowboys to shoot these owls, as being detri- 

 mental to the cattle business; the only reason for this is that a horse 

 or a cow may occasionally break a leg by stepping into a burrow while 

 running. It would hardly seem that there are enough of the holes to 

 cause much damage in this way, but, sad to relate, any wild creature 

 that interferes in the slightest degree with man's interests has to be 

 sacrificed. 



GLAUCIDIUM GNOMA PINICOLA 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN PYGMY OWL 



HABITS 



Contributed by Milton Philo Skinner 



The pygmy owl well deserves its name, for it is scarcely as big as a 

 bluebird, and not nearly so large as a robin. It is a hardy, dark 

 grayish-brown, little fellow, and it lives at all seasons of the year upon 

 its favorite mountain ranges in the Western United States and Canada. 

 Still, severe winter storms may cause it to seek lower altitudes, 

 temporarily. Although it is seldom found far from trees, it some- 

 times perches on trees or bushes isolated from the rest of the forest. 

 This is the most eastern of the several subspecies of the pygmy owl. 

 It has not often been reported; yet it seems to be quite abundant. 

 Its small size, its ability to hide in the forest, its many ways and 

 habits so unlike other owls, and its general resemblance to other, 

 commoner, birds tend to confuse the observer even when the pygmy 

 owl is seen. Most curious in an owl is its habit of carrying its tail 

 sticking out at a perky angle (Winson, 1926a). 



Nesting. — Nothing is known of the courtship activities preceding 

 the nesting of this subspecies, and not much of the actual nesting 

 itself. As a rule the nest is in the abandoned hole of woodpeckers 

 ranging in size from the hairy woodpecker up to, and including, the 

 flicker. Apparently the Rocky Mountain pygmy prefers a site 8 to 

 20 feet above ground. The eggs are laid upon the bare wooden 

 bottom of the nest hole, although at times there are feathers and pine 

 needles present. I do not know whether this scanty material is 

 intentionally placed in position, or just accidentally falls there. On 

 the other hand, Major Bendire (1892) found a nest at Fort Klamath 

 where "the cavity was well filled with feathers of various kinds", 

 indicating that here was an attempt at actual nest building. Dates 

 of fresh eggs range from May 10 to the end of June; and, judged from 

 these, only one brood a year is raised. Incubation appears to start as 

 soon as one egg has been laid. Apparently nesting localities may be 



