Utah has resident spotted owls. (Strix occidentalis) The Mexican Spotted Owl is found in the southern and eastern parts of Utah on the Colorado Plateau, where it is a rare permanent resident.
The Mexican Spotted Owl is considered a threatened species. The spotted owl has a variety of habitats in different parts of its range, including forests and steep rocky canyons. Canyons are the primary habitat in Utah.
Spotted owls are nonmigratory and feed mainly on rodents but also consume rabbits and some other vertebrates.
Did you know?
Spotted owls do not build their own nests but utilize suitable naturally occurring sites and nests built by other animals. Nests are either in trees (especially those with broken tops), trunk cavities, or on cliffs.
The newest book in the Adventures of Backpacker Billy and Shave is about Spotty the spotted owl in Utah’s Zion National Park.