Northern spotted owl
| Northern spotted owl | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformesa |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Strix |
| Species: | S. occidentalis |
| Subspecies: | S. o. caurina |
| Trinomial name | |
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Strix occidentalis caurina |
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The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina; Cahto: bisbintc) is one of three spotted owl subspecies. A western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus Strix, it is a medium-sized dark brown owl sixteen to nineteen inches in length and one to one and one sixth pounds. Females are larger than males. The wingspan is approximately 42 inches.
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 subspecies' range is the Pacific coast from extreme southern British Columbia to Marin County in northern California. It nests in cavities or on platforms in large trees and will use abandoned nests of other species. Spotted owls form long-term pair bonds (divorce is an uncommon occurrence) and remain in the same geographical areas year after year.
Most spotted owls occur on US federal lands (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service lands), although significant numbers occur on state lands in all three states, and on private and tribal properties.
The northern spotted owl is primarily nocturnal. Its diet consists mainly of wood rats (Neotoma sp.) and flying squirrels, although it will also eat other small mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. They will often swallow their catch whole and regurgitate pellets of indigestible hair, feathers and bones. Males and females both hunt, except during nesting, when males do most of the hunting. They can take prey on the ground and in flight. Northern spotted owls are one of the few owls with dark-colored eyes. Most owls have yellow to red-orange colored eyes.
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Wikipedia