• Home
  • Coniferous Animals
  • Coniferous Trees
  • About Us
  • Contact
Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Spotted Owl

Spotted Owl

The medium-sized spotted owl is known for its appearance and hence the name. The species is facing habitat loss to a mentionable extent due to deforestation.

Spotted Owl

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae
Genus Strix
Scientific Name Strix occidentalis

Quick Information

Also Knows As Chouette tachetée in French, Cárabo Californiano in Spanish
Description Size: 17-18.9 in (43.1-48 cm)

Wingspan: 39.8-45 in (101-114 cm)
 
Color: Dark brown body with white spots throughout,
pale X pattern located diagonally between eyes
Distribution From Southwestern British Columbia to California
Habitat Coniferous forests
Subspecies S. o. caurina or northern spotted owl
S. o. lucida or Mexican spotted owl
S. o. occidentalis or California spotted owl
Sounds & Calls Whistling and hooting, sometimes like barking, “hup,hoo-hoo”
Lifespan 16-17 years
Diet Flying squirrels, wood rats, deer mice, snowshoe rabbits, and voles
Adaptations The strong beak is suitable for hunting its prey.
The thick layers of feathers help them withstandthe cold weather
Predators Great horned owls, Northern goshawks, and red-tailed hawks
IUCN Conservation Status Near Threatened
Northern Spotted Owl
Spotted Owl Picture

Behavior

  • The nocturnal bird sometimes forage during the day
  • They fly and shift up and down to adjust themselves with the changing temperatures
  • The spotted owl prefers to stay alone except for the breeding season

Mating and Reproduction

The copulation season usually starts from spring and lasts till either summer or fall. Males and females form monogamous pairs and after 4-6 weeks females lay white to grayish 1-4 eggs sizing around 2 inches. They are incubated for 28-32 days by females.

Female Spotted Owl
Spotted Owl Chick

Life-cycle

Hatchlings are born blind and usually covered in down. They start moving and flying out of the nest after 4-5 weeks although they stay in touch with their parents for another 2-3 months. The young owls reach sexual maturity around the age of 2.

Interesting Facts

  • Spotted owls are often confused with barred owls and in some areas, two species are crossed to beget “sparred owls”
  • Adult spotted owls not necessarily breed every year, rather they take a break that can be as long as 5-6 years
  • Roosting owls preen each others
  • The oldest reported spotted owl was a female aging 21 years
Spotted Owl Feather
Spotted Owl Flying

References

  1. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Owl/overview
  2. http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/spotted_owl_712.html
  3. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/spotted-owl
  4. http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/spotted_owl

Published on April 1st 2019 by Sahana Kanjilal under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 2nd December 2022.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    • Recent Posts

      • Cedar Tree of Lebanon
      • Eastern Red Cedar
      • Black-backed Woodpecker
      • Eastern Gray Squirrel
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Norway Spruce
      • Douglas Squirrel
      • Northern Goshawk
      • Bighorn Sheep
      • Eastern Milk Snake
      • Ovenbird
      • California Redwood
      • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
      • Foxtail Pine
      • Snow Goose
    • Categories

      • Coniferous Forest Animals
      • Coniferous Forest Plants and Trees
        • Cedar
        • Cypress
        • Fir
        • Hemlock
        • Juniper
        • Larch
        • Pine
        • Spruce
        • Yew

© 2023 (Coniferous Forest). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.