This diminutive owl is one of the smallest in North America, with a body mass of about 1.9 ounces. It has dark eyes, brown plumage with darker and reddish variegations, and small ear tufts.

The Flammulated owl is unique among owls in the Pacific Northwest in that it preys almost exclusively on insects and is a neotropical migrant. Additionally, the pitch of its rather ventriloquial hoot is among the lowest of all North American owls.

The Flammulated owl breeds on the eastern slope of the Cascades, in the Blue and Wallowa mountains, and in small numbers in the mountains of southwest Oregon. It is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Blue Mountains, East Cascades, Klamath Mountains and West Cascades ecoregions. 

Hear the call of the Flammulated owl

Photo by Vic Coggins, ODFW