Psiloscops flammeolus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) is a small migratory North American owl in the family Strigidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Psiloscops. The flammulated owl was formally described in 1852 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup under the binomial name Scops flammeola. He specified the type location as Mexico. This species was formerly placed with the scops owls in the genus Otus but is now placed in its own genus Psiloscops that was introduced in 1899 by Elliott Coues. The name Psiloscops combines the Ancient Greek psilos meaning "naked" or "smooth" with the genus name Scops, a synonym of Otus. The specific epithet flammeolus is Latin meaning "flame-coloured", "with flame-like markings" or "flammulated". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
A molecular phylogenetic study of the owls published in 2019 found that the flammulated owl is a sister species to the Puerto Rican owl (Gymnasio nudipes). The flammulated owl is a small, nocturnal owl approximately 15 cm (6 in) long with a 36 cm (14 in) wingspan. With such large wings for a small body, they can fly rapidly from tree to tree. Males and females can... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Flammulated Owl sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 164th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Flammulated Owl in Yosemite National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Flammulated Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Flammulated Owl sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Big Bend National Park (United States, under 5%), Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, under 5%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Flammulated Owl that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Strigidae, Typical Owls) are Great Gray Owl (about 10%) and Spotted Owl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Flammulated Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Yosemite National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
