Animal Fact Sheets

Length and Wingspan Length is 16.5-19 inches (41-48 cm). Wingspan is approximately 45 inches(114 cm). The northern spotted owl is the largest of the three spotted owl subspecies. Weight 17-34 ounces (490-950 gr). Life Span Up to 15 years in the wild; longer in captivity. Diet In the wild: Rats, white-footed mice, deer mice, birds, red tree mice, small bats, moths, crickets, large beetles and flying squirrels At the zoo: Mice and small rats.

Range Map

Reproduction
Northern spotted owls reach sexual maturity at the age of 1 year, but usually do not breed until age 2 or 3. These birds are monogamous and pairs bond for life. Courtship activities, which include special posturing and bobbing, begin in February or March. Nests in old-growth forests, preferably in the darkest part of the woods, high in a tree, tree cavities or old nests. Early nesters lay eggs in March, but the majority of nesting occurs in April. One or two oval white eggs are normally laid. The small clutch size results in a low reproductive output for this species, however, there will be less competition for food between owlets in the nest.

The female does all the incubation of the eggs and the male hunts for food for his mate. Incubation lasts approximately 28 days. Eggs hatch in late April or early May. After the eggs hatch the female sits with the owlets and the male hunts for food for the family. Owlets are born with their eyes closed and are covered with fluffy, white, downy feathers. As the owlets reach adult size, their feathers gradually turn dark brown, with a barred tail, and white spots on the head and breast.

Life Cycle
Owlets fledge in June and remain with their parents until late summer or early fall. Upon leaving the nest, owlets disperse across the forest and usually establish their own winter feeding range. The following spring they establish a new range in an area away from their parents’ range. The range size for adult owl pairs and adult individuals can range two to 24 square miles (3.4-38.2 sq km).

Whoo-hoo Are You?
The northern spotted owl has dark, black-brown eyes which are surrounded by white facial disks that look like half moons. These facial disks aid the owl when hunting by directing sounds to the ear holes. The northern spotted owl is a nocturnal hunter, and seldom takes prey during daylight hours. This owl has a distinctive four-note hooting call, which sounds similar to the baying of a hound. The northern spotted owl also uses a squeaking "whee-whee" whistle to communicate with other owls. The female owl's call is higher pitched than the male's.

Nighttime Vision
Northern spotted owls have remarkable night vision, and can see better than most birds. They usually sleep during the day, partly because their eyes are sensitive to bright sunlight. The owl’s eyes have limited movement in their sockets because the eyes are very large and tubular shaped to accommodate all the highly sensitive optical nerves. This shape restricts movement because the owl's eyes cannot roll in their sockets as oval human eyes can. To enable it to see in all directions, the northern spotted owl, like most owls, has the ability to turn its head 270 degrees.

Location at the Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo's no longer exhibits spotted owls, but great gray owls can be viewed near the Habitat Discovery Loop in the Temperate Forest. A barn owl can also be viewed at the Temperate Forest's Family Farm area. Other owl species can be viewed at the zoo's Raptor Center, including the spectacled, barred, great horned and western screech owl.

Conservation Connection
The northern spotted owl is a threatened species, primarily due to habitat destruction, caused by activities such as logging, road and home construction. These activities cause habitat fragmentation, which isolates spotted owl pairs and decreases the size of their home ranges. Research has shown owls need large areas of land to range. Fragmentation also disrupts the distribution of owlets to new, vacant home ranges.
It is still unclear exactly why spotted owls prefer old-growth forest habitats. Some reasons may be that old-growth forests have diverse vegetation, multilayered canopies, abundant prey, and plentiful nesting/perching sites. Northern spotted owls use multilayered canopies and for thermal cover (shade in summer and shelter in winter). Old-growth forests also provide protection from predators, such as great horned owls, which prefer young stands of trees and edges of clear-cuts.

How You Can Help!
The effort to save threatened and endangered owls requires cooperation and support at international, national, regional and individual levels. You can help in this cause. Join and become active in Woodland Park Zoo and other conservation organizations of your choice. Don’t buy old-growth forest products or products made from wild animal parts. Contact your elected representatives and express your views about conservation of endangered species and wild habitats.

Contact Woodland Park Zoo at webkeeper@zoo.org to find out ways you can support conservation programs at the zoo. Discover more about raptors by contacting the Peregrine Fund at their Web site www.peregrinefund.org. To learn other ways you can help conserve wildlife and their habitats visit our How You Can Help page.

Sources and Suggested Reading
Bent, Arthur Cleveland. 1961. Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY. 482 p.

Wolfe, Art and Julio DeLa Torre. 1990. OWLS-Their Life and Behavior. Crown Publisher Inc., New York, NY. 214 p.

For Kids!
Sattler, Helen Roney and Jean Day Zallinger. 1995. The Book of North American Owls. Clarion Books, New York, NY. 64 p.

Zoobooks. 1992. Owl. Wildlife Education, Ltd., San Diego, CA. 18 p.