Strix occidentalis
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of old-growth forests in western North America, where it nests in tree hollows, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 12 and 60 metres (40 and 200 ft) from the ground, and usually contain two eggs (though some contain as many as four). It is a nocturnal owl which feeds on small mammals and birds. Three subspecies are recognized, ranging in distribution from British Columbia to Mexico. The spotted owl is under pressure from habitat destruction throughout its range, and is currently classified as a near-threatened species.
The spotted owl has an average length of 43 cm (17 in), wingspan of 114 cm (45 in), and weight of 600 g (1.3 lb). Its eggs are a little over 50 mm (2.0 in) long, and are white and smooth with a slightly grainy texture. The spotted owl is similar in appearance to the barred owl, but has cross-shaped markings on the underparts, whereas the barred owl is alternately barred on the breast and streaked on the belly. Barred owls are larger and grayer than spotted owls. In recent years, the California and northern subspecies of spotted owl have... Wikipedia →
Recording0:15
United States · 2026
© Beatrix AuYeung · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:43
United States · 2022
© Dean Lyons · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:32
United States · 2024
© Gregg Gorton · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Bird Alliance of Oregon | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Owl sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 76th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–August and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Owl in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and September–November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Spotted Owl sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 20%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spotted Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Yosemite National Park (23 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
