Flammulated Owl – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Overview

Species Common Name Flammulated Owl
Species Scientific Name Psiloscops flammeolus
State Listing Status Sensitive

Ecoregions

Blue Mountains

Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Umpqua Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, and interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range. The Rogue watershed has the largest population of any coastal watershed in Oregon (Jackson County, Josephine County, and a portion of Curry County). Several popular and scenic rivers run …

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Special needs

Flammulated Owls inhabit mid-elevation forests (3,880-4,600 feet) with no understory. They typically use small, dense thickets for roosting and open patches of grassland/meadow for foraging on insects. Nest sites consist of medium to large snags or deformed trees with existing woodpecker holes/cavities.

Limiting factors

Flammulated Owls have low reproductive rates. Habitat degradation by encroaching trees and shrubs (often as a result of fire suppression), loss of ponderosa pine trees and snags, and limited snag and cavity availability can adversely affect this species. Insect control may also reduce owl prey base.

Data gaps

Assess distribution. Evaluate the impacts of forest management practices on habitat suitability. Increase basic knowledge of nesting ecology.

Conservation actions

Promote management practices that enhance mature forest conditions, including snag retention. Minimize insect control around forest openings near nesting areas. Use and monitor nest boxes in areas deficient in snags and natural cavities.

Key reference or plan

Conservation Strategy for Landbirds of the East-Slope of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington