The Spotted Owl

The Spotted Owl is a medium-sized owl measuring 16 to 19 inches in length with a wingspan of 3 ½ feet. It has grayish-brown plumage with light spots on its back and breast, and cross-shaped markings on its belly. Its pale brown facial disk is concentrically ringed with dark brown. Its eyes are dark brown and it has no ear-tufts.

The Northern Spotted Owl can be seen in the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest and in the mountain of the southwestern United States and Mexico. They prefer dense forests and wooded canyons. They are often found near streams and other water sources within the forest. A single pair of Spotted Owls requires 2,000 to 5,000 acres of undisturbed forest land to survive and thrive.

Spotted Owls are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. The pair stays together and defends their territory year-round. Their met is usually in a cavity in the broken tops of dead trees or other natural hollows. They will occasionally use artificial nest boxes or hide the nest in a pile of debris. The female will scrape a hollow in the debris but rarely adds additional material to the nest. As long as the nest site is undisturbed, the Spotted Owl will reuse it year after year.

The female will lay 2 to 4 eggs and incubate them for 28 to 32 days. The female takes full responsibility for incubating the eggs depending on her mate to provide her with food. Once the eggs have hatched, the female will continue to brood for another 8 to 10 days.

The young will start hopping onto nearby branches at 34 to 36 days but don't learn to fly until around 6 weeks of age. They remain with their parents for another 60 to 90 days.

The Spotted Owl's diet consists of small mammals such as flying squirrels, rats, mice, and voles. It will also prey upon birds, reptiles, and insects.

It hunts mostly at night, but will hunt during daylight hours during mating season. They are sit-and-wait predators. They watch from a perch and wait for prey to wander into their range. Once spotted, the Spotted Owl swoops down on the unsuspecting prey and grasps it in its talons. They will also take prey in mid-air and snatch them off of branches.

There has been an alarming decrease in the Spotted Owl population. The Spotted Owl does not reproduce every year and only 20 percent of the juveniles survive to adulthood. There are several factors contributing to the decline. Larger owls prey on the dispersing juveniles, and the Spotted Owl has to compete with the Barred Owl for fewer and fewer nesting sites. It all boils down to loss of habitat.

The Spotted Owl is currently listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and as endangered by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

1. The Spotted Owl doesn't wander far from home. It usually stays in the same territory most of its life.

2. The Spotted Owl's numbers are declining. Only 20 percent of the fledglings survive to adulthood.

3. Most owls have yellow colored eyes, but the Spotted Owl's eyes are dark brown.