Northern+Spotted+Owl


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Species Name:** Northern Spotted Owl


 * Scientific Name:** Strix occidentalis caurina


 * Slogan:** Don't howl, it's only a northern spotted owl.


 * Physical Description:** The Northern spotted owl is dark-to-chesnut brown in color and sports round or oval white spots on its head, neck, back, and under parts. Its flight feathers are also dark brown and barred with light brown or white. Unlike most owls, spotted owls have dark eyes. Although it is often considered to be a medium-sized owl, the northern spotted owl ranks among the largest in North America.


 * Behavior:** Northern spotted owls are very territorial and intolerant of habitat disturbance.They prefer old-growth forests with tree canopies that are high and open enough for the owls to fly between and underneath the trees. Preferred areas have large trees with with broken tops, deformed limbs or large holes used as nesting sites. Each pair needs a large amount of land for hunting and nesting. Even though they do not migrate, spotted owls may shift their ranges in response to seasonal changes, such as heavy snows, that make hunting difficult. Northern spotted owls have a distinct flight pattern, involving a series of rapid wingbeats interspersed with gliding flight. This allows them to glide silently down upon their prey.


 * Diet:** Staples flying squirrels, wood rats, mice and other small rodents. They are also known to eat birds, insects and reptiles.


 * Reproduction:** Their mating season is either February or March. Gestation lasts about 1-2 months. Their clutch size is 2-3 eggs.The female incubates the eggs for 30 days. After hatching, the female sits with her offspring for 8-10 days, eating food brought by the male owl. The young fledge, or aquire the necessary feathers for flying, about 34-36 days after hatching.


 * Range:** Northern spotted owls are typically found in old growth forests of northern California and the Pacific Northwest of the United States, as welll as in southern parts of British Columbia, Canada.

The Northern Spotted Owl primarily inhabits old growth forests in the northern part of its range (Canada to southern Oregon) and landscapes with a mix of old and younger forest types in the southern part of its range (Klamath region and California). The species' range is the Pacific coast from extreme southern British Columbia to Marin County northern California. It nests in cavities or on platforms in large trees and will use abandoned nests of other species. Spotted owls mate for life and remain in the same geographical areas year after year. Most Spotted Owls occur on US federal lands (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Managament, and National Park Service lands), although significant numbers occur on state lands in all three states, and on private and tribal properties.
 * Habitat:**


 * Height:** About 18 inches
 * Weight:** 1-2 pounds (males are smaller than females)
 * Length:** About 18 inches (wingspan is about 48 inches)
 * Lifespan:** They can live as long as 10 years in the wild and 15-20 years in captivity.