BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Glaucidium gnoma swarthi
Northern Pygmy-Owl, swarthi subspecies
| Scientific Name: | Glaucidium gnoma swarthi Grinnell, 1913 | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | Northern Pygmy-Owl, swarthi subspecies | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1957. The AOU check-list of North American birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD. 691 pp. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Subspecies | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | B-NPOW-SW | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G4G5T3T4Q (Jul 2019) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S3S4 (Mar 2018) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Blue | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | Y (Jun 2006) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | |||||||||||
| Migratory Bird Convention Act: | |||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
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Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
N / N / N / na / |
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| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Agriculture / Cultivated Field / Facultative - occasional use
Agriculture / Hedgerow / Facultative - occasional use Agriculture / Pasture/Old Field / Facultative - occasional use Alpine/Tundra / Krummholtz / Facultative - occasional use Anthropogenic / Urban/Suburban / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Conifer Forest - Moist/wet / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Deciduous/Broadleaf Forest / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Mixed Forest (deciduous/coniferous mix) / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Shrub - Natural / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Bog / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Fen / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Marsh / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Swamp / Facultative - frequent use |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | Generally found in mature forest; nests in woodpecker holes. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Habitat Comments: | Habitat keywords copied from species record. | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: | |||||||||||
| Global Food Habits Comments: | |||||||||||
| Global Phenology: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | / / | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: |
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| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | Y | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | This subspecies is endemic to Vancouver Island (American Ornithologists' Union 1957) and the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Aug 03, 1997 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, et al. 1990b. The Birds of British Columbia Vol. 2: Nonpasserines: Diurnal Birds of Prey through Woodpeckers. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC. |
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Darling, L.M. 2003. Status of the Vancouver Island Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma swarthi) in British Columbia. B.C. Minist. Water, Land and Air Prot., Biodiversity Branch, and B.C. Minist. Sustainable Resour. Manage., Conserv. Data Centre, Victoria, BC. Wildl. Bull. B-113. 21pp. |
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Demarchi, M.W. and M.D. Bently. 2005. Best Management Practices for Raptor Conservation during Urban and Rural Land Development in British Columbia. B.C. Minist. of Environ., Victoria, B.C. MoE BMP Series. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1997. Species Summary: Glaucidium gnoma swarthi. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 7, 2026).