Amazonian Pygmy Owl

New on my bird list: Amazonian Pygmy Owls.

Just when I thought I have seen the smallest Owl so far in Suriname (Tawny-bellied Screech Owl), I spot an even smaller one in Kabalebo; the Amazonian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium Hardyi). It was in July 2019, during one of my birding trips. I was listening to some bird sounds before departing and the sound of the Amazonian Pygmy Owl was one of them. Seconds later, they responded to the sound.

They were first very active and kept flying from tree to tree. Since they have a length of 14/15 cm it was quite a challenge to spot them. But minutes later they decided to land on a branch visible for us. 

First it was only one and minutes later, the second one also joined its partner. They are known as canopy birds, so since they were sitting so high up in a tree, I was also exercising my neck muscles. 
Amazonian Pygmy Owls are also known as Dwerguilen in Dutch thanks to their tiny appearance. 
You can clearly see streaks on their chest. It is said that they are mobbed by smaller birds and that was also the case with them as Reddish Hermits and Gray breasted Sabrewings kept bothering them. These two love birds were not annoyed at all, they just looked at the hummingbirds. 
If it wasn't for the playback sound, we would not have noticed their presence, since they were quiet in the beginning.
This was also the first time that I spotted an Owl couple too.

​You may also like the following owl:

Tawny-Bellied Screech Owl