Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis)

Other Names (World)
Spotted Owl, Mexican Spotted Owl, Mountain Spotted Owl, Mountain Forest Owl (lucida)

Family
Strigidae (Typical Owls)

Size
46 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Xantus De Vesey, 1860)

Habitat
Boreal forest. Also, temperate forest. From 1,250 - 2,500 m.

Range (Guide)

Canada (B) (NB), Mexico (B), USA (B).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 15,000 (2010) and decreasing.

Status NT
Habitat degradation and fragmentation through logging is the main threat.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (148)...)

Spotted Owl (Strix) [XC389940]
by Lance A. M. Benner from , United States (call)

Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) [XC105925]
by Lance A. M. Benner from , United States (call)

Subspecies
May be member of superspecies that includes Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Fulvous Owl (Strix fulvescens). Occasionally hybridizes with Barred Owl (Strix varia) in Mexico, where ranges overlap.

Subspecies lucida very pale, and possibly specifically distinct.

The following 4 subspecies are recognised:

caurina (Merriam, 1898) - South-western Canada (British Columbia), south through western USA Coast Ranges to northern California.
occidentalis (Xantus De Vesey, 1860) - Central and southern Californian Coast Ranges and western slope of Sierra Nevada, south to northern Baja California.
lucida (Nelson, 1903) - From northern Arizona, south-eastern Utah and southern Colorado south to northern and central Mexico (south to Michoacán and Guanajuato).
juanaphillipsae Dickerman, 1997 - Central Mexico.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Spotted Owl see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Articles about the Spotted Owl

If you would like to read any articles about the Spotted Owl...

Show Articles (0)

No Pictures of Spotted Owl

If Birdpedia has no pictures of Spotted Owl or you would like to see more, then try the following...

Show External Images from BING

From BING (10)

No Videos of Spotted Owl

If Birdpedia has no videos of Spotted Owl or you would like to see more, then try the following..

Show External Videos

From BING (0)