Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 18.5–18.9 in
47–48 cm - Wingspan
- 39.8 in
101 cm - Weight
- 17.6–24.7 oz
500–700 g
Other Names
- Chouette tachetée (French)
- Tecolote moteado (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Three subspecies of Spotted Owl are recognized. The Northern Spotted Owl lives from northern California to British Columbia, and is the darkest brown with the smallest white spots. The California Spotted Owl lives only in California, is lighter brown and has larger spots. The Mexican Spotted Owl is the smallest and lightest race with the largest white spots. It lives from Utah and Colorado southward into southern Mexico.
- The most important food items for the Spotted Owl are flying squirrels and woodrats. In areas where woodrats make up the bulk of the diet, the owl has a smaller home range. The Spotted Owl also eats bats and other owls.
- An individual Spotted Owl may not breed every year. Some do not breed for periods of five to six years. Although survival of juvenile owls is low, adult survival is high, and a Spotted Owl may live to be 17 years old.
Habitat
Forest
- In northern part of range, lives in old-growth coniferous forests.
- Uses other forest types and rocky canyons in other parts of range, but prefers mature forests.
Food
Mammals
Small and medium-sized mammals, especially rodents.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–3 eggs
- Egg Description
- White to pearl gray.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless, eyes closed, covered in white down.
Nest Description
Nests in tree cavities, broken-topped trees, and platforms, such as old raptor or squirrel nests. Does not build own nest.
Nest Placement
Cavity
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Hunts at night.
Conservation
Near Threatened
Because of its preference for old-growth forests, it is heavily affected by clear-cut logging. The northern form is considered Endangered in Canada and Threatened in the United States. The California form is a species of special concern in California, and the Mexican form is considered as Threatened in the United States and Mexico. Listed on the Audubon Watchlist
Credits
- Gutiérrez, R. J., A. B. Franklin, and W. S. Lahaye. 1995. Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 179 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.