The Flammulated Screech Owl 



Nesting. — Nest: An old nesting hole of woodpecker, or natural cavity in tree. 

 Eggs: 2 or 3; white, subspherical. Av. of 3 eggs from Arizona (Huachuca Mts. — 

 Willard): 30.48 x 24.64 (1.20 x .97); index 81. Av. of 2 eggs from Utah (Wahsatch 

 Mts. — Treganza) : 27.1 x 21.08 (1.065 x -83); index 78. Season: About June 1st. 



General Range. — Mountains of western North America from southern British 

 Columbia to Guatemala. 



Occurrence in California. — A little-known resident, reported from the moun- 

 tains of Shasta County (Fort Crook), south, but chiefly in the San Bernardino Moun- 

 tains. 



Authorities. — Cooper (Scops flammeola), Orn. Calif., 1870, p. 422 (Ft. Crook); 

 Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. v., 1883, p. 549 (Big Trees) ; Grinnell, Univ. Calif. 

 Pub. Zool., vol. v., 1908, p. 59 (San Bernardino Mts.). 



IF A MARTIAN in black livery were to sidle up on the dark side 

 of our planet, all on a moonless night, to spy upon us, he could scarcely 

 keep his business so well concealed as has this ghoulish avian mystery, 

 the Flammulated Owl. Yet the Owl is no interloper, but a native son ; for 

 his race has probably told off more myriad moons in California than Piute 

 or Digger or Hueneme. The first example of this species recognized in the 

 United States was taken by Lieut. Feilner, a representative of the Smith- 

 sonian Institute, at Fort Crook, in this State, in i860. So far as Cali- 

 fornia is concerned, the record remained unique for a quarter of a century, 

 when, in 1885, Mr. Frank Stephens took a second specimen in the foothills 

 of the San Bernardino range. Since that date five or six occurrences have 

 been recorded, — two in the central and northern Sierras, and the remain- 

 ing three or four in the San Bernardinos. On the 4th of June, 1894, Mr. 

 M. French Gilman took a set of two eggs of this kind, at an elevation of 

 7500 feet, on the slopes of San Gorgonio Peak; and it is not improbable 

 that the Owl is of regular occurrence throughout the higher ranges of 

 California. 



The Flammulated Owl has been found nesting in the mountains of 

 Arizona and Colorado, and a dozen sets or such a matter taken ; but the 

 parent birds have almost invariably been killed at sight after the kindly 

 fashion of our cult, and little is known of the life history or psychology 

 of this little, silent terror of the night. The eggs, three or four in num- 

 ber, are deposited in old Woodpecker holes, usually at moderate heights; 

 and the female is such a close sitter that she requires to be lifted from 

 the nest. 



It was Mr. Frank C. Willard, that veteran oologist and astute student 

 of bird ways, who first called our attention to a peculiarity of this owl 

 which places it in a class by itself. So far as known, the irides of all 

 other Owls are yellow, presumably because this color best promotes the 

 light-gathering faculty, which is furthered by the facial disk and other 



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