Overview

Spotted Owl: Medium owl, white-spotted, brown upperparts, finely barred white underparts. Head lacks ear tufts. Eyes are brown. The wings are brown with white spots. A secretive bird, it inhabits dense old growth forests. An individual needs 3000 acres to survive due to scarcity of its food source.

Range and Habitat

Spotted Owl: Found from southwestern British Columbia south through the mountains of Washington, Oregon, and California, the western slopes of Sierra Nevada, and the southern Rockies; also occurs in Utah and central Colorado through Arizona's mountain ranges, New Mexico, extreme western Texas, and central Mexico. Preferred habitats include dense, dark, old growth or mixed mature and old growth coniferous forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Spotted Owl: Lays one to four buff tinted, white eggs in stick nests of Northern Goshawks, clumps of mistletoe, large tree cavities, broken tops of large trees, large branches, or cavities in banks and rock faces. Female incubates for 28 to 32 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Spotted Owl: Feeds on flying squirrels, wood rats, gophers, small rabbits, mice, and voles. Forages from a perch, swooping down to capture prey on the ground, usually at night.

Vocalization

Spotted Owl: Call is a mellow, four-note hoot, "hoo-hoohoo-hoo", given by both sexes. Location call is a series of 7 to 15 hoots, given during disputes and/or calls between paired birds; female often emits a loud "co-weeep" to contact her mate. Also barks in a series of three to seven notes. Other sounds include grunts, groans, and chatters.

Similar Species

Spotted Owl: Barred Owl is larger and has a breast pattern of horizontal and vertical marks. Hybrid offspring show a mix of both parents’ traits.