Spotted Owl
Strix occidentalis
ORDER: STRIGIFORMES
FAMILY: STRIGIDAE
IUCN Conservation Status: Near Threatened
©
Jeffrey Rich/CLO
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.