Flammulated Owl

Otus flammeolus

Order STRIGIFORMES - Family STRIGIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A small owl of mountain pine forests, the Flammulated Owl is common in scattered localities throughout the West.

Cool Facts

• The Flammulated Owl once was considered rare, but improved census techniques revealed that they actually were common. Some consider it the most abundant owl of western pine forests.

• The monotonous flat toot of the Flammulated Owl can be difficult to locate. The softness of the call, together with the gradual beginning and end make its direction hard to detect. In addition, when the owl detects a person, it sings even more softly, making it sound as if the owl is far away.

• Although most small owls eat insects, they also usually eat mice, shrews, and other small vertebrates. The Flammulated Owl eats very few vertebrates at all, and subsists nearly entirely on insects, especially crickets, moths, and beetles. Perhaps this diet is the reason that few Flammulated Owls remain in northern areas over the winter.

Description

• Size: 15-17 cm (6-7 in)
• Wingspan: 41 cm (16 in)
• Weight: 45-63 g (1.59-2.22 ounces)

• Small owl.
• Short, feathered ear tufts.
• Gray or brownish gray.
• Dark eyes.

• Short ear tufts give square-headed appearance.
• Body feathers gray with black streaks and crossbars.
• Varying amount of rufous amongst gray.
• Toes unfeathered.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike in plumage, female larger.

Immature

Immature like adult.

Similar Species

• Western and Wiskered screech-owls have more prominent ear tufts, yellow eyes, and lack rufous in plumage.

Sound

Call a rather deep-pitched, single "hoot," like blowing across the top of a bottle.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in scattered mountain locations from southern British Columbia southward to southern Mexico.

Winter Range

Winters in Central America.

Habitat

Breeds in open pine forest in mountains, especially ponderosa pine forest.

Food

Nocturnal insects.

Behavior

Foraging

Hunts at night, gleaning insects off of vegetation.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nests in tree cavities. Adds no nesting material to cavity.

Egg Description

White with faint creamy tint.

Clutch Size

2-4 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Covered in white down, eyes closed.

Conservation Status

Common but considered vulnerable and possibly declining in some areas. On Audubon Watchlist.

Other Names

Petit-duc nain (French)
Tecolote flameado (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

McCallum, D. A. 1994. Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus). In The Birds of North America, No. 93 (A. Poole, and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.