What do they look like? The Northern Spotted Owl is a fairly large, brown owl, around 40 to 48cm long, with a puffy round head and no ear tufts. Of the fourteen owl species that nest in British Columbia, there are only two species that are noticeably larger than the spotted owl. Female Spotted Owls are slightly larger than males, but both still look very similar. The chocolate chestnut feathers on the owl have many circular white spots, which is why it is called the Spotted Owl. It also has large round facial discs with dark outer rims, dark brown eyes and a yellowish bill.
What is their status? British Columbia is estimated to have fewer than 100 pairs of the Northern Spotted Owl. They have been placed on the Red List, because of their habitats being constantly deforested and lost. The Red List includes species being considered for legal designation as Endangered 0r Threatened under the British Columbia Wildlife Act. The Northern Spotted Owl has been labelled as Endangered.
Where do they live? Northern Spotted Owls live in western North America, from southern British Columbia to central Mexico. The range in British Columbia is fairly small. Basically, it is north to the vicinity of the Elaho River, Pemberton and Carpenter Lake, and east to the fraser Canyon, the Coquihalla and Manning Park.