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| Spotted Owl | ||||||||||||
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 Spotted Owl, northern race | ||||||||||||
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| Spotted Owl Strix occidentalis |
The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of owl.
It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests or rock crevices, laying 2-4 eggs.
This is a strictly nocturnal owl, which feeds on small mammals and birds.
This bird was the subject of considerable controversy during the late 1980s and early 1990s in the northwest United States with its inclusion to the Endangered Species Act. This designation caused millions of acres of old growth timber to be unharvestable by timber companies and state government agencies in Washington, Oregon, and extreme Northern California.