flammulated owl

The flammulated owl was formally described in 1852 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup under the binomial name Scops flammeola . He specified the type location as Mexico.{{ cite journal | last=Kaup | first=Johann Jakob | author-link=Johann Jakob Kaup | date=1852 | title=Monograph of the owls (Strigidae) | journal=Contributions to Ornithology for 1852 | volume=5 | pages=103–122 [111] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51468242 }} This species was formerly placed with the scops owls in the genus Otus but is now placed in its own genus Psiloscops that was introduced in 1899 by Elliott Coues.{{ cite journal | last=Coues | first=Elliott | author-link=Elliott Coues | date=1899 | title=On certain generic and subgeneric names in the A.O.U. Checklist | journal=Osprey | volume=3 | page=144 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8712899 }}{{Cite journal | last1=Chesser | first1=R.T. | last2=Banks | first2=R.C. | last3=Barker | first3=F.K. | last4=Cicero | first4=C. | last5=Dunn | first5=J.L. | last6=Kratter | first6=A.W. | last7=Lovette | first7=I.J. | last8=Rasmussen | first8=P.C. | last9=Remsen | first9=J.V.J. | last10=Rising | first10=J.D. | last11=Stotz | first11=D.F. | last12=Winker | first12=K. | date=2013 | title=Fifty-Fourth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds | journal=The Auk | volume=130 | issue=3 | pages=558–571 | doi=10.1525/auk.2013.130.3.1 | doi-access=free}}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2021 | title=Owls | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/owls/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | accessdate=21 May 2021 }} The name Psiloscops combines the Ancient Greek psilos meaning "naked" or "smooth" with the genus name Scops, a synonym of Otus. The specific epithet flammeolus is Latin meaning "flame-coloured", "with flame-like markings" or "flammulated".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=160, 321 }} The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

A molecular phylogenetic study of the owls published in 2019 found that the flammulated owl is a sister species to the Puerto Rican owl (Gymnasio nudipes).{{Cite journal | last1=Salter | first1=J.F. | last2=Oliveros | first2=C.H. | last3=Hosner | first3=P.A. | last4=Manthey | first4=J.D. | last5=Robbins | first5=M.B. | last6=Moyle | first6=R.G. | last7=Brumfield | first7=R.T. | last8=Faircloth | first8=B.C. | date=2019 | title=Extensive paraphyly in the typical owl family (Strigidae) | journal=The Auk | volume=137 | issue=ukz070 | doi=10.1093/auk/ukz070| doi-access=free | hdl=2346/93048 | hdl-access=free }}

The flammulated owl is a small, nocturnal owl approximately {{convert|15|cm|0|abbr=on}} long with a {{convert|36|cm|0|abbr=on}} wingspan. With such large wings for a small body, they can fly rapidly from tree to tree. Males and females can be distinguished by their weight. Females are larger, ranging from {{convert|62|-|65|g|abbr=on}} and males are smaller ranging from {{convert|50|-|52|g|abbr=on}}. The owl gets the name flammulated from the flame-like markings on its face.Biemiller, L.(2003). Night Vigil. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49 (44),A40.

The flammulated owl is similar in appearance to the western screech owl, but is only about one-quarter the mass, lacks large ear tufts (but has small ear tufts that are barely visible), and has dark eyes and a different voice. The elf owl is smaller and the mountain pygmy owl is about the same size. The call is a series of relatively deep, single or double hoots.

It breeds from southern British Columbia and the western United States to central Mexico. It is a neotropical migrant and winters south of the United States, but also in South Texas, Arizona, and California. Unlike many owls, they are migratory, leaving Canada and the United States in the fall. In the winter, they are found in northern Central America, from southern Mexico to Guatemala and El Salvador. They leave their breeding grounds in August to head to their wintering areas, and then return to their breeding grounds in late April and early May.Samson, F. B. (2005). A Conservation assessment of the northern goshawk, blacked-backed woodpecker, flammulated owl, and pileated woodpecker in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service. Unpublished report on file, Northern Region, Missoula, Montana, USA.

File:ScopsFlammeolaSmit.jpg

The flammulated owl nests in tree cavities and has two to four young at a time after a 26-day incubation period. The young are able to forage for their own prey after about 25–32 days. These owls are obligate cavity nesters, meaning they only create nests in tree cavities.{{Cite journal | last1=Linkhart | first1=Brian D. | last2=Reynolds | first2=Richard T. | date=2007 | title=Return rate, fidelity, and dispersal in a breeding population of flammulated owls (Otus Flammeolus) | journal=The Auk | volume=124 | issue=1 | pages=264–275 | doi=10.1093/auk/124.1.264 | doi-access=free}} Females usually select cavities that used to be woodpecker or northern flicker nests. Their nests are bare and have no nesting material. Flammulated owls tend to form breeding pairs with unoccupied habitat between breeding clusters.Marti, C. Flammulated Owls (Otus flammerlous) breeding in deciduous forests. Unlike most owls, the Flammulated Owl often nests in loose colonies. According to EBird.org, One observation group once found 47 singing birds along a five mile stretch of road near Provo, UT. They tend to have one clutch of eggs annually. Like other raptors, they can live long and have high nesting success, and during the nesting period, the female owls rely on the males to forage for them.

Nesting habitat in the western U.S. and Canada is usually mature, open ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests. Flammulated owls can also be found breeding in deciduous forests with some conifers present. In deciduous habitat, they can still breed productively.

They feed almost entirely on insects, but very occasionally eat small mammals such as shrews and small rodents.{{Cite web |title=Flammulated Owl |url=https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/flammulated-owl |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=Audubon |language=en}} The insects they eat mostly consist of small Lepidoptera. They also eat crickets and beetles.

Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the flammulated owl as a species of least concern, but populations may be declining in some areas.

File:Juvenile flammulated owl2.jpg]]

{{Reflist}}

• Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 5, Josep del Hoyo editor, {{ISBN|84-87334-25-3}}
• {{cite journal | last1=Linkhart | first1=B.D. | last2=McCallum | first2=D.A. | year=2020 | title=Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus), version 1.0 | editor-last=Poole | editor-first=A.F. | journal=Birds of the World | location=Ithaca, NY, USA | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | doi=10.2173/bow.flaowl.01 | url=https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.flaowl.01 | accessdate=21 May 2021 | url-access=subscription }}
• {{Cite journal | last1=Linkhart | first1=B.D. | last2=Fox | first2=J.W. | last3=Yanco | first3=S.W. | date=2016 | title=Migration timing and routes, and wintering areas of Flammulated Owls | journal=Journal of Field Ornithology | volume=87 | issue=1 | pages=42–54 | doi=10.1111/jofo.12136 }}

{{commons category|Psiloscops flammeolus}}

{{wikispecies|Psiloscops flammeolus}}

• [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3740id.html USGS Identification Tips]
• [https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104998/Psiloscops_flammeolus RangeMap & synopsis] InfoNatura NatureServe
• [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=flammulated+owl&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Flammulated Owl photo gallery] - VIREO
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060710160106/http://greglasley.net/Images/Flammulated-Owl-0002.jpg Photo-High Res]; [http://www.greglasley.net/flamowl.html Article & short synopsis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513023856/http://www.greglasley.net/flamowl.html |date=2008-05-13 }} - Photo gallery
• [http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Flammulated_Owl/sounds A recording of the flammulated owl's hoots at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology]

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flammulated owl

Category:Native birds of Western Canada

Category:Native birds of the Western United States

Category:Meso-American montane bird species

flammulated owl

flammulated owl

flammulated owl