The spotted owl species has been listed as near threatened by the IUCN since 2004, with declining populations primarily due to habitat loss and competition with barred owls. However, the northern spotted owl, Mexican spotted owl, and California spotted owl subspecies are listed as threatened and protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
What is the conservation status of the spotted owl?
What are the subspecies of the spotted owl?
Most taxonomies recognize three subspecies: the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), which lives in British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and northern California; the California spotted owl (S. occidentalis occidentalis), limited to California; and the Mexican spotted owl (S. occidentalis lucida), which lives in the desert southwest of the United States and Mexico.