Spotted Owl

Spotted Owl, common name for a dark brown owl found in the dense old-growth forests of British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, and south through central Mexico. There are three subspecies of the spotted owl: the northern, California, and Mexican spotted owls.

The spotted owl ranges from 42 to 48 cm (16.5 to 19 in) in length. Its plumage is dark brown with spots of white on the chest, and the sexes are similar in appearance except that the female is larger than the male. The spotted owl has a puffy round head and face and large dark eyes.

The spotted owl feeds mainly on rodents, including wood rats and deer mice, and other small mammals, such as rabbits and bats; it also eats some birds, reptiles, and insects. The edge of the feathers have a special fringe that enables the spotted owl to fly silently and surprise its victims, making the owl well suited for night hunting. It hunts primarily by watching from a perch, then flying out to capture prey with its sharp talons.

The male spotted owl defends his territory by calling at dusk and at night. His loud, deep calls, which sound somewhat like a barking dog, can echo for great distances in the forest. The mating pair usually nests in the top of a large hollow tree. No nest is built, but the same site is often used for life. The female incubates, or warms, the two or three white eggs by sitting on them for about 32 days. The male feeds the female as she cares for the eggs. Newly hatched young are covered with soft feathers, or down, but still depend on their parents for food and protection. They are usually able to fly about 36 days after hatching.

The northern spotted owl has been the focus of recent controversy because of its special breeding requirements. It does not normally breed in second growth forests (areas that have grown back after being cleared). In order to breed successfully and gather enough food for its young, a single pair of spotted owls requires about 40 hectares (about 100 acres) of old-growth forest, typically among redwoods, Douglas fir, spruce, or hemlock. Spotted owl populations have declined as their natural breeding grounds have been clear-cut or developed.

In 1990 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the northern spotted owl as a threatened species and limited the legal sale of timber from areas where it is known to nest. Because the trees on 100 acres of old-growth forest are worth more than $1 million, this action has created conflict between people in the logging industry, who want to harvest valuable timber resources and protect numerous jobs, and conservationists, who want to protect old-growth forests. In 1993 the Mexican spotted owl was also listed as threatened.

Scientific classification: The spotted owl is a member of the typical owl family Strigidae, in the order Strigiformes. The northern spotted owl is classified as Strix occidentalis caurina, the California spotted owl as Strix occidentalis occidentalis, and the Mexican spotted owl as Strix occidentalis lucida.

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