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| MEASUREMENTS: The Flammulated Owl has a body length of 6 - 7 inches, an average wingspan of 16 inches, and weighs about 2 ounces. |
 HABITAT: This owl is found in mountain forests, especially ponderosa pine forests with low growing bushes. It is distributed in select locations west of the Rocky Mountains from southern British Columbia to Mexico. Flammulated Owls migrate into Mexico during the winter. |
| DIET: The Flammulated Owl is an insect-eating owl. This owl also eats spiders and may on occasion hunt a small rodent or bird. This nocturnal hunter searches for prey from a perch. It collects its prey from plant foliage while hovering or flying by, or gathers insects in mid air or from the ground. |
| REPRODUCTION: Flammulated Owls nest in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, or man-made nest boxes. The female lays 2 - 4 eggs that are incubated for 21 - 24 days. The young owls fledge at about 25 days, but are not independent of their parents until 5 weeks of age. |
| NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word otus, referring to a “horned” owl, and flammeus,meaning flame-colored. The common name indicates the flame coloration of its feathers. This owl has also been known as a Flammulated Screech-Owl. |
INTERESTING FACTS:
- The Flammulated Owl is one of the smallest North American owls. Since it is almost exclusively insectivorous, the owls in the northern part of the breeding range must migrate out of their mountainous habitat during the winter.
- The eye color of most owls is yellow to orange. The Barn Owl, Spotted Owl, and Barred Owl join the Flammulated Owl as the only dark-eyed owls in North America.
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