The East Brazilian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum), also known as Sick's Pygmy-owl, is a small owl

Owl

Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...

 in the typical owl family. It has been argued that the here used scientific name actually belongs to the Pernambuco Pygmy Owl, in which case the East Brazilian Pygmy Owl should be referred to G. sicki (König & Weick, 2005). This has not gained widespread recognition.

It is found in eastern Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and far eastern Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

. It inhabits tropical moist evergreen forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

s and edges as well as open bush canopy. It is one of the smallest South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

n owls, averaging at 45 grams (1.6 oz) and 15 cm (6 in).

Formerly, this species included the Colima, Tamaulipas, Central American, Subtropical, and Baja Pygmy-owl

Baja Pygmy-owl

The Cape Pygmy Owl or Baja Pygmy Owl is a subspecies of Northern Pygmy Owl restricted to the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Although some taxonomists consider it to be a distinct species, many authorities do not consider it separate.-Description:It is 15 to 16.5 cm or 17 cm long and...

 as subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

.