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Spotted Owl

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description Spotted Owl Overview

The Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) is a medium-sized owl native to mature forests of western North America. It is divided into three recognized subspecies associated with the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, and the canyonlands of the Southwest. Its reliance on structurally complex old-growth forest made it a focal species in the late-twentieth-century logging controversies of the Pacific Northwest. The Northern Spotted Owl is listed as threatened under the U.S.

Endangered Species Act.

help Spotted Owl FAQ

How many recognized subspecies does the Spotted Owl have?

Three recognized subspecies are commonly discussed: the Northern Spotted Owl, California Spotted Owl, and Mexican Spotted Owl. They occupy different parts of western North America from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico. [Audubon Field Guide](https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/spotted-owl)

What forest does the Spotted Owl depend on?

Spotted Owls are strongly associated with mature, closed-canopy, late-successional, and old-growth forests. The Northern Spotted Owl became a major focus of Pacific Northwest conservation because logging removes this structural habitat. [Audubon Field Guide](https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/spotted-owl)

Where do the three Spotted Owl subspecies live?

The Northern Spotted Owl occurs in the Pacific Northwest, the California Spotted Owl occurs in California and parts of Nevada and Baja California, and the Mexican Spotted Owl ranges through the southwestern United States and Mexico. The California subspecies includes populations in the Sierra Nevada. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service](https://www.fws.gov/species/california-spotted-owl-strix-occidentalis-occidentalis)

Why has the Spotted Owl become part of the logging debate?

Its need for old-growth forest placed habitat protection in direct conflict with timber harvesting in the Pacific Northwest. The Northern Spotted Owl was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1990. [U.S. Forest Service overview](https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr966_chapter4.pdf)

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