Adult. Photo: Frank D. Lospalluto/Flickr (CC BY NC ND 2.0)
Strix occidentalis
| Conservation status | Endangered in Pacific Northwest, possibly threatened in southwest. Requires undisturbed habitat and old-growth forest, does poorly in second-growth. A relatively new threat in the Pacific Northwest is posed by the arrival of Barred Owls, which spread westward across Canada in recent decades. Barred Owls are apparently displacing Spotted Owls in some areas, taking over prime habitats and sometimes interbreeding with their slightly smaller relatives. |
|---|---|
| Family | Owls |
| Habitat | Mature old-growth forests, conifers, wooded canyons. Along Pacific seaboard, mainly in undisturbed old-growth timber, including douglas-fir and redwoods. In southwest, generally in forested mountains and canyons, especially where tall trees grow close to rocky cliffs. |
Hunts mostly at night, but also by day while nesting. Hunts mostly by watching from a perch, then swooping out to capture prey in talons. Prey is taken from the ground and out of trees, and bats may be captured in the air.
2, sometimes 1-3, rarely 4. Whitish. Incubation is by female only, 28-32 days. Male feeds female during incubation. Young: Female remains with young at first; male brings food for female and young. After about 2 weeks, female hunts also. If humans approach nest, adults perch nearby but make no active defense. Young leave nest at about 5 weeks, are tended and fed by parents for some time thereafter.
Female remains with young at first; male brings food for female and young. After about 2 weeks, female hunts also. If humans approach nest, adults perch nearby but make no active defense. Young leave nest at about 5 weeks, are tended and fed by parents for some time thereafter.
Mostly small mammals. Specializes on small forest mammals, including woodrats, deer mice, voles, red tree mice (Phenacomys), small rabbits, bats. Also takes some small birds, reptiles, large insects.
Male defends nesting territory by calling at dusk and at night. Pairs typically use same nest site for life, but may not nest every year. Nest: Chooses a sheltered site inside large hollow tree in deep forest, in cave or crevice in cliff, sometimes in old stick nest of hawks or other large birds. No nest built, makes simple scrape in debris in bottom of site.
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures.
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
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