Spotted Owl - Sierra Club BC
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Spotted Owl

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Spotted Owl

Strix occidentalis caurina 

Appearance

These owls are medium-sized with dark brown feathers, a round head, and large dark eyes. Their head and hind neck have white spots. 

Range & Habitat

They are only found in North America from southwestern B.C. to Mexico. They live in old-growth forests, and build nests in a hole in a tree—usually an old nest of a squirrel or hawk. Work is being done to protect spotted owl habitat in southwestern B.C., but almost no spotted owls remain in the wild.

Reciprocal Relationships

Owlets are born in the spring and stay with their parents until the end of summer after which they disperse in the forest independently. They eat their prey head first. They eat northern flying squirrel, rodents, squirrels, snakes, bats, voles, mice, woodrats, rabbits, insects and amphibians.  

Spotted owls have no major predators, but their biggest threat is loss of old-growth forest to logging. There are an estimated 30 individuals in B.C., with fewer than 5 in the wild. Despite these low numbers, many people have been working to protect the last spotted owl habitat. In June 2024, the province of B.C. recognized that ministers cannot delay the urgent protection of the spotted owl and other at-risk species. To bring the spotted owl back from the brink, their old-growth habitats must be protected.

The last wild spotted owl lives in Spôzêm First Nation territory, who consider northern spotted owls as sacred messengers that indicate the health of the whole ecosystem. 

Status

COSEWIC: Endangered 
CDC: Red 

More information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca

photo credits

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