California spotted owl

E97145

The California spotted owl is a medium-sized, dark-eyed forest owl subspecies native to the mountainous conifer and mixed hardwood forests of California, where it serves as an indicator of old-growth ecosystem health.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf bird subspecies
forest owl
spotted owl subspecies
activityPattern nocturnal
breedingSite broken-topped snags
large trees
tree cavities
class Aves
closelyRelatedTo Mexican spotted owl
northern spotted owl
commonName California spotted owl
conservationStatus at risk in parts of its range
diet flying squirrels
small mammals
woodrats
ecologicalRole forest predator of small mammals
eyeColor dark brown
family Strigidae
genus Strix
habitat late-successional forests
mixed conifer–hardwood forests
mountainous conifer forests
old-growth forests
indicatorOf old-growth ecosystem health
kingdom Animalia
managementConcern old-growth forest conservation in California
morphologicalFeature brown plumage with white spots
dark eyes
rounded head without ear tufts
nativeTo California
coastal ranges of California
southern Cascade Range in California
western Sierra Nevada
order Strigiformes
parentTaxon spotted owl
phylum Chordata
plumagePattern spotted
primaryThreat competition with barred owl
habitat fragmentation
habitat loss
logging of old-growth forests
wildfire
rangeCountry United States NERFINISHED
rangeState California
relativeSize medium-sized owl
scientificName Strix occidentalis occidentalis
taxonRank subspecies
uses indicator species for forest management

Referenced by (2)

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