Flammulated Owl

Pat Snider's database contain's about 110 reports of Flammulated Owl from New Mexico dating from 1963 through 1999.  The migrants arrive in mid-April and the last reports are from late October. Birds call spontaneously through the spring and into mid-July, rarely thereafter.  Breeding birds seem to range between about 6000 and 10000 ft.  Birds have been reported from the San Juan Mts., Sangre de Cristo Mts, Jemez Mts., Zuni Mts., Sandia Mts., Tularosa Mts., Magdalena Mts., Mogollon Mts., Black Range, Pinos Altos Mts., Sacramento Mts., and the Animas Mts.  They are amost certain to be present at Mt. Taylor and in the Manzano, San Mateo, and Capitan Mts as well, though there are no reports in the database.  

Birds usually leave the state in winter and are occasionally found in the lowlands in spring and fall migration.  Reports from vagrant traps and lowland areas indicate that the species migrates well out onto the eastern plains: Roswell area in Chaves Co. , north Roosevelt Trap (Melrose Trap) and Oasis State Park in Roosevelt Co, Rattlesnake Springs Picnic Area in Eddy Co., and south of Cline's Corners in Torrance Co. There is a single winter report from Santa Fe Co.

Flammulated Owl photographs.  Left: A bird photographed 12 May, 1995 at the north Roosevelt Trap on the eastern plains of NM.  
Right:  This bird wintered at Cow Creek Death Valley National Monument, CA, photographed 24 October, 1981.

Unless otherwise noted, all original material in this page copyright 1998-2002 by Jerry R. Oldenettel, All Rights Reserved