Breeds from south-western Canada (south-central British Columbia) south to north-western and south-western USA and north-east, western and central Mexico (and eastern in highlands to southern Puebla, and north-eastern Oaxaca). Winters to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala, possibly El Salvador.
Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) [XC379908]
by from Islip Saddle, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California, United States (call)
Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) [XC262812]
by Lance A. M. Benner from Buckhorn Campground, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California, United States (begging call)
Subspecies
Only New World species belonging to the Old World Otus assemblage referred to as subgenus Otus. It differs from other New World Otus (subgenus Megascops) in lacking typical trilled song. Probably forms superspecies with Pallid Scops-Owl (Otus brucei), African Scops-Owl (Otus senegalensis), Eurasian Scops-Owl (Otus scops) and Oriental Scops-Owl (Otus sunia). Longer-winged population in northern part of range sometimes separated as idahoensis and darker birds from Guatemalan highlands described as rarus, but individual plumage variation appears to be continuous and biometric differences possibly clinal. Also, other subspecies described from southern Mexico and Guatemala (meridionalis), Colorado (frontalis) and central British Columbia to north-eastern California (borealis). However, type locality of species is apparently unknown, making objective use of subspecific names problematic.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet