The Flammulated Screech Owl 



was rent, quantities of this material fell down into the lower cavity. I 

 mention this explicitly because it occurred to me, in descending, to thrust 

 an exploratory hand into the accumulation of the lower cavity; and 

 here, uncomplainingly buried, I dug up another Owl, the female. It was 

 a shame to kill them, but Howell wanted the skins and each bird passed 

 by the airless route to the land of Not, without a struggle, mild and 

 innocent. As we handled the carcasses of the dead birds, curious big 

 flat flies came forth, black fellows which had evidently been living a 

 parasitic life upon these patient fowls. 



No. 217 



Flammulated Screech Owl 



A. O. U. No. 374. Otus flammeolus (Kaup). 



Synonyms. — Dwarf Screech Owl. Least Screech Owl. 



Description. — Adult: (Average plumage based on four nearly uniform California 

 (2) and Arizona (2) specimens). Plumicorns (ear-tufts) very short — scarcely notice- 

 able. General tone of upperparts weathered wood-brown, produced by finely mottled 

 whitish and dusky; facial disc not prominent, its included feathers chiefly dusky-and- 

 white-barred; tawny washes or stains about eyes, base of bill, crown centrally, rim of 

 facial disc (strongly, split on nape by grayish crescent), and vague semicircular broad 

 band across upper back and anterior portion of wing, including the under surface and 

 continued on sides of breast as prominent edging of larger stripes; bordering areas of 

 head, especially the included band of cervix and underparts, lighter — whitish or pale 

 ashy as to ground; the underparts heavily marked with "crawling insect" stripes and 

 bars, after the fashion of 0. asio, the more prominent figures heavily margined with deep 

 tawny; a large "-shaped design of white and tawny on back, formed by outer webs of 

 outer scapulars; and upperparts further varied by skeletonized central stripes of 

 blackish; quills strongly indented with white and ochraceous on outer webs, obsoletely 

 ochraceous-barred on inner. Bill and feet dark; iris brown (unique among owls). 

 Adult, gray phase: With tawny (as in preceding description) more or less reduced; in 

 extreme examples entirely wanting, save on scapulars. Adult, red phase: With increase 

 of tawny throughout; extreme examples are cinnamon-brown above and strongly 

 tinged with cinnamon-rufous on face and breast. As the red increases, the black tends 

 to reduction or diffusion, being (according to Ridgway) sometimes entirely wanting on 

 crown. Nestlings: Notably dark-colored, finely barred dusky and grayish white 

 throughout, but especially on head and underparts; pattern of wings as in adult; and 

 stains of ochraceous about bill, eyes, sides of neck, etc. Length of adults: 152.4- 177.8 

 (6.00-7.00); wing 133 (5.24); tail 60 (2.36); bill from cere 9.5 (.37). Females a trifle 

 larger. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size, but appearing larger; a tiny Screech Owl 

 to appearance, but "horns" scarcely visible; "-shaped rufous bars on back; decidedly 

 larger than Elf Owl 



nog 



