Spotted Owl

This owl has a length of 43 cm , a wingspan of 114 cm , and a weight of around 600 g . Its eggs are a little over 2 inches long, and are white and smooth with a slightly grainy texture. The female sits on the eggs and cares for the young, while the male provides food for them. Juvenile Spotted Owls have an average survival rate of 11%, with an average birth rate of .58 owls per pair.

The Spotted Owl is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards (12 to 60 meters) high and usually contain two eggs (though some will contain as many as four). It is a strictly nocturnal owl, which feeds on small mammals and birds, which has only been found out recently. More

Spotted Owl - Strix occidentalis = species-Strix-occidentalis-1 species-Strix-occidentalis-2 species-Strix-occidentalis-3 species-Strix-occidentalis-4 species-Strix-occidentalis-5 species-Strix-occidentalis-6 More Strix occidentalis Photos >> Calls - Strix occidentalis Typical Call More

Adopt an Animal and Help Save WildlifeThe northern spotted owl is dark-to-chestnut brown in color and sports round or oval white spots on its head, neck, back and under parts. Its flight feathers are also dark brown and barred with light brown or white. Unlike most owls, spotted owls have dark eyes. Although it is often considered to be a medium-sized owl, the northern spotted owl ranks among the largest in North America. More

Present Status: The spotted owl was listed as an endangered species in July 1990. Its decline in numbers has been attributed to its loss of habitat due to timber harvesting and environmental causes such as fire, volcanic eruption, and windstorms. Home of Wiki & Reference Answers, the world’s leading Q&A siteReference AnswersEnglish▼English▼ Deutsch Español Français Italiano Tagalog * * Search unanswered questions... More

The Spotted Owl is usually sedentary and occupies only one territory most of its life. Its sedentary nature, narrow habitat requirements and vocal habits make it very vulnerable to people. Here you will find video, photos, recordings and a brief field notes section to help identify and enjoy this beautiful owl. A more in depth write up and range map can be found in its natural history page (the Biology link). More

The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, is one of three Spotted Owl subspecies. A Western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus Strix, it is a medium-sized dark brown owl sixteen to nineteen inches in length and one to one and one sixth pounds. Females are larger than males. The wingspan is approximately forty two inches. More

spotted owls have dark eyes. The Mexican spotted owl is an ashy-chestnut brown color with white and brown spots on its abdomen, back and head. The spots of this subspecies of spotted owl are bigger than the spots of the other two subspecies, California and Northern spotted owls, making the Mexican spotted owls appear lighter than their relatives. Their brown tails are marked with thin white bands. This owl is one of the largest owls in North America. More

Spotted Owls are found in to low and mid-elevation mature forests with dense canopy. They prefer forests of Douglas Fir with complex vegetation at multiple levels and are often found near streams or other water sources. Because Spotted Owls typically do not cross brushy or clearcut areas, they prefer large expanses of undisturbed mature forest. More

(With some Spotted Owl, Hybrid, Great Horned Owl, and Pygmy Owl calls, and a Northern Flying Squirrel) Recorded and compiled by Bob Pearson 2005 More

Official Status: Threatened, the northern spotted owl is Federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in Washington, Oregon and California, and State-listed as threatened in California and Oregon, and endangered in Washington.Critical habitat is designated for the species. A final recovery plan has been released. The 2008 Recovery Plan and critical habitat designation are currently being implemented by the Service. More

The Spotted Owl's New Nemesis = An epic battle between environmentalists and loggers left much of the spotted owl's habitat protected. More

Spotted Owl - Strix occidentalis Breeding Range Map Other common names: Arizona Spotted Owl (lucida); Mexican Spotted Owl (lucida); California Spotted Owl (occidentalis); Northern Spotted Owl (caurina); Western Barred Owl; Wood Owl. Subspecies: All three races of the Spotted Owl are found in the United States, one of which has a range that stretches into Canada and one into Mexico. S.o. caurina is the northern most race and faces some of the greatest danger of deforestation. More

* The northern spotted owl is one of three subspecies of the spotted owl. Other populations of spotted owl live in California, Mexico, and the U.S. Southwest. * Northern spotted owls do not nest exclusively in old-growth forests. Some have been reported nesting in less mature, managed forest areas as well. More

spotted owl Species Profile (for listing rules, critical habitat, recovery plan, etc. More

Biologist Lowell Diller soothes a captured northern spotted owl by stroking the feathers on the bird's forehead. Biologist Lowell Diller soothes a captured northern spotted owl by stroking the feathers on the bird's forehead. Kate Ramsayer He wants to make the owl feel as relaxed as possible. That way, if he needs to catch it again, the bird might remember the head massage and the free mice Diller feeds it and not immediately fly away. Diller keeps track of spotted owls as part of his job. More

spotted owl populations have responded to habitat loss by declining steeply, 40-60%, in the last 10 years. Conservation Northwest has long supported and created initiatives to protect old-growth stands, which in turn safeguarded the continued existence of the northern spotted owl. Despite these efforts the northern spotted owl is still extremely vulnerable. More

The Spotted Owl Cafe is a family style cafe, perfect for visiting after a trip to the Hocking Hills or just after a long day at work. It's known for the ice-cold Frost Top root beer, served from the tap in a frosted mug. A major attraction of The Spotted Owl Cafe is the huge, man-made rock formation and waterfall, located at the entrance of the restaurant. More

* Northern spotted owls have a saw-toothed edge on their primary (flight) feathers, which helps them to fly silently! Animal Fact Sheets = Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) - Habitat The northern spotted owl prefers mature old-growth forests. It especially likes densely wooded areas which have large trees with a multilayered canopy enclosure. More

The Spotted Owl is a species found west of the Rocky Mountains. It is Canada's most endangered owl with only a few individuals remaining in the wild. Recent efforts to save the species from extirpation in Canada and ultimately extinction are in their infancy. The Spotted Owl Recovery Team has collected a few of the remaining individuals and are currently providing captive breeding habitats in British Columbia in an effort to re-establish a sustainable wild breeding population. More

Here's a personal encounter with the subspecies of spotted owl that lives in Arizona. Spotted Owl, by Mimi WolfTwo big owls perched side by side on a level branch, so close together that their wings touched. Their eyes were half closed. They looked drowsy and comfortable, taking their ease in their pleasant day roost. "Don't go past that boulder," warned Smitty, who had pointed the birds out to us. Robert T. More

northern spotted owl swoops in on silent wings, grabs it in outstretched talons, flies up to a tree limb and tears it to pieces. It's a spectacular spring day in the forest: sunlight dappling through Douglas fir and hemlock branches, cool air, the last remnants of winter snow on the ground, the sound of a woodpecker hammering nearby and the distinctive hooting of owls. More

Appendix 2 - Summary of Spotted Owl detections in North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Washington (1993-1996) Appendix 3 - Summary of Barred Owl detections in North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Washington (1993-1996) Appendix 4 - Summary of "other" owl detections in North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Washington (1993-1996) Appendix 5 - Summary of Spotted Owls banded in North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Washington (1990-1996) Note: Appendices More

What do they look like? Spotted Owls are dark brown with lots of white spots. They have dark eyes and a yellow beak. Their coloring helps the bird to camouflage itself in the trees where it lives. How big are they? These birds are between 16 and 19 inches long. If their wings were spread out, as in flying, they would be about 48 inches wide. More

The spotted owls at the museum first bred successfully last year, after co-habitating since the mid-1990s, said Eric Forsman, a research wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest research station in Corvallis. A flurry of excitement followed the discovery of last year's young. It was the first time this pair had bred after being a couple for almost a decade. It also provided scientists a unique opportunity to study the owls in this early stage of life. More

A denizen of mature coniferous forests, the Spotted Owl has been at the center of debates between forces for and against logging in the Pacific Northwest. Because of its role as the indicator species for old-growth forest, it has become one of the best-studied owls in the world. More

Spotted OwlStrix occidentalis WatchList 2007 Status: http://web1.audubon.org/filerepository/science/speciesprofiles/watchlist/Red. More

The Northern Spotted Owl is found in the cool, moist woodlands of the Pacific Northwest. The Northern Spotted Owl has a round face and distinctive, dark brown eyes, but no ear tufts like those of the great horned owl. The overall color of its feathers is chestnut brown, and the tail feathers appear barred with lighter brown and white. Sometimes there is white and brown spotting on the underparts and the breast. More

decline of the spotted owl, despite a 14-year-old ban on the logging of old-growth forests on most federal lands. Hopes fade for spotted owl Two juvenile spotted owls perch in a tree after being fed a live mouse in a forest near Mount Rainier. Spotted owl numbers have dropped, despite a ban on old-growth logging on most federal lands. Photo by Chris Joseph Taylor/THE SEATTLE TIMES. More

Picture of Strix occidentalis above has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial.
Original source: Blake Matheson
-Blake Matheson -Author: Blake Matheson
Permission: Some rights reserved
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Genus : Strix
Species : occidentalis
Authority : (Xantus De Vesey, 1860)