Species: Otus flammeolus

Flammulated Owl

Species

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Articles:

August 01, 2013

This article was originally published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of its annual report Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington.

Flammulated owl (photo from Greg Lasley, USGS).

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Strigiformes

Family

Strigidae

Genus

Otus

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104998

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Petit-duc nain - Tecolote Ojo Oscuro

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Strigiformes - Strigidae - Otus - O. SCOPS and O. FLAMMEOLUS have been considered conspecific by some authors (Terres 1980).

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description

A small dark-eyed owl with small ear tufts.

Migration

false - false - true - DNA data indicate very low differentiation among populations in different mountain ranges in New Mexico and Utah; evidently the species exhibits long-distance natal dispersal and frequent intermountain dispersal (Arsenault et al. 2005).

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

false

Food Comments

Mainly hunts at night and eats nocturnal arthropods (McCallum 1994a and 1994b). Marshall (1957, cited in USDA Forest Service 1994) reported that most hunting activity occurs at dawn and dusk; McCallum (1994a, 1994b) reported that species hunts exclusively at night. Feeds on various insects (e.g., moths, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars; McCallum 1994a, 1994b). Moths (esp. NOCTUIDAE and GEOMETRIDAE) and beetles are especially important (Reynolds and Linkhart 1987b; Marshall 1957, cited in USDA Forest Service 1994). Possibly responds to spruce budworm outbreaks (see McCallum 1994b). May occasionally eat small mammals or birds (Bull 1978; Holt 1996), but frequency is debated (McCallum 1996). See McCallum (1994a, 1994b) for detailed information on diet composition. Foraging tactics include hawk-gleaning, hawking, hover-gleaning, and drop-pouncing; will also glean insects from trunks and branches (Reynolds and Linkhart 1987; Zeiner et al. 1990, cited in USDA Forest Service 1994). Most foraging in Oregon and New Mexico occurred along the interface between forest or woodland and grassland (see McCallum et al. 1995). In New Mexico, sit-and-wait foraging occurred 3-50 meters from nests (McCallum et al. 1995).

Reproduction Comments

Has low reproductive rate (McCallum 1994b). Clutch size is two to four (usually two to three); incubation lasts 21-26 nights, by female (male brings food); nestling period reported as 22-24 nights and 21-23 days; fledglings are tended by both parents (divide brood, Colorado), independent about 1 month after fledging. See Johnsgard (1988) for review of egg dates. Fledging occurs in July-August. Brood size most often is two. Maximum recorded longevity in the wild is about 7-8 years (Reynolds and Linkhart 1990). In California, breeds May through October with peak activity in June and July (Zeiner et al. 1990, cited in USDA Forest Service 1994). Rates of nest success and productivity generally unknown. In New Mexico, adults were site-faithful and tended to maintain pair-bonds between years; juveniles showed little natal philopatry (Arsenault et al. 2005).

Ecology Comments

Individuals occupy same breeding territory in successive years (Reynolds and Linkhart 1987a). Territory size about 5.2 square kilometers; males show strong territory fidelity but females may disperse to adjacent territories (dispersal distance averaged 474 meters; Reynolds and Linkhart 1987a). Territory size usually remains same from year to year, even if adjacent territories unoccupied (McCallum 1994a). Territorial boundaries often occur along ridgetops (Reynolds 1987). Singing owls move widely within home range. Male foraging, territorial defense, resting and day-roosting were confined to the home range in a Colorado study; home range size appeared to be influenced by canopy volume and range shape by topography (Linkhart 1984, cited in McCallum 1994b). Nesting home ranges vary from 5.5 to 24.0 hectares, and may diminish in size during the breeding season (McCallum 1994b). In Colorado averaged 14 hectares; foraging activity concentrated in 1-4 areas within home range (Reynolds and Linkhart 1987a). Both sexes make extra-range movements during the breeding season (Reynolds and Linkhart 1990). Generally fewer than 4 singing males per 40 hectares in Oregon, British Columbia, and Colorado. Density of 5.3 males per square kilometer reported from California (Johnsgard 1988). Densities of singing males in Idaho averaged 0.41 per 40 hectares (Atkinson and Atkinson 1990); and in Oregon from 0.28 to 0.52 males per 40 hectares (Groves et al. 1997). Nests per 100 hectares averaged 2.9 in New Mexico, 2.1 in Colorado, and 1.4 in Oregon (not significantly different; see McCallum et al. 1995). In New Mexico, nest sites averaged 260 meters from the nearest neighbor (McCallum et al. 1995). Territories remain same size in successive years and rarely expand when a neighbor is absent (Reynolds and Linkhart 1990). PREDATORS: Recorded predators include accipiters and Great Horned Owl (BUBO VIRGINIANUS). Nest predation documented by Northern Flying Squirrel (GLAUCOMYS SABRINUS; McCallum 1994b). COMPETITORS: Squirrels and other avian cavity nesters compete for nest cavities, and as Flammulated Owl comes late to breeding grounds, competitors may limit nest site availability. Bats may compete for nocturnal insect prey (McCallum 1994b).

Length

Weight

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

2000-11-16

Global Status Last Changed

2000-11-16

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

FG - 20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles) - FG - BREEDING: locally from southern British Columbia, western Montana, and northern Colorado south to southern California, southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, western Texas, southeastern Coahuila, Nuevo Leon (AOU 1983) (to 3700 m, Contreras-Balderas 1992), and central Mexico (Sibley and Monroe 1990, McCallum 1994a). NON-BREEDING: central Mexico south in highlands to Guatemala and El Salvador, casually north to southern California (AOU 1983).

Global Range Code

Global Range Description

20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104998