Flammulated Owl

Overview

The flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) is a small, migratory North American owl in the family Strigidae and the sole member of the genus Psiloscops. It is a neotropical migrant that breeds in western North America and winters in Central America.

Identification

• Approximately 15 cm long with a 36 cm wingspan; females weigh 62–65 g and males 50–52 g.
• Similar in appearance to the western screech owl but one-quarter its mass, with barely visible small ear tufts rather than large ones.
• Dark eyes and flame-like markings on the face.
• Call consists of relatively deep, single or double hoots.

Habitat

Breeds from southern British Columbia and the western United States to central Mexico, primarily in mature, open ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests, though also found in deciduous forests with some conifers. As a neotropical migrant, it winters south of the United States, in South Texas, Arizona, and California, as well as in northern Central America from southern Mexico to Guatemala and El Salvador.

Diet

Feeds almost entirely on insects, particularly small Lepidoptera, crickets, and beetles, but occasionally consumes small mammals such as shrews and small rodents.

Did you know?

Unlike most owls, the flammulated owl often nests in loose colonies, with one observation group recording 47 singing birds along a five-mile stretch of road in Utah.