description Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl Overview
The Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium mooreorum) is a small owl species endemic to a narrow strip of the Atlantic Forest in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It was formally described to science in 2002 based on specimens and observations from forest fragments near the cities of Recife and Igarassu. Listed as critically endangered, it is among the rarest owls in the world due to severe deforestation within its restricted range. Few confirmed records exist in recent decades.
help Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl FAQ
When was the Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl formally described?
Glaucidium mooreorum was formally described in 2002 by José Maria Cardoso da Silva, Galileu Coelho, and Luiz Pedreira Gonzaga. The description was based on specimens and observations from northeastern Brazil. [Original species paper](https://avibirds.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/pernambuco-pygmy-owl.pdf)
Where did the Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl live?
The owl was endemic to Brazil's Pernambuco state and known from a narrow strip of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil. The type locality was associated with the Saltinho Biological Reserve. [ICMBio Red Book](https://www.gov.br/icmbio/pt-br/centrais-de-conteudo/publicacoes/publicacoes-diversas/livro_vermelho_2018_vol1.pdf/%40%40download/file/livro_vermelho_2018_vol1.pdf)
Is the Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl extinct?
The species is assessed as Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct, rather than being treated as definitively confirmed extinct. The last recorded observation listed in an IUCN statistics table was in 2001. [IUCN Red List table](https://nc.iucnredlist.org/redlist/content/attachment_files/2020-2_RL_Stats_Table9.pdf)
Why was the Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl so vulnerable?
Its potential range was limited to the Pernambuco Endemism Center, a narrow and heavily fragmented Atlantic Forest region. A small range combined with the loss of forest fragments leaves little room for an undetected population to persist. [ICMBio Red Book](https://www.gov.br/icmbio/pt-br/centrais-de-conteudo/publicacoes/publicacoes-diversas/livro_vermelho_2018_vol1.pdf/%40%40download/file/livro_vermelho_2018_vol1.pdf)
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