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Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix
occidentalis lucida)
Description
Unlike most owls, Mexican spotted owls have dark eyes. They are an
ashy-chestnut brown color with white and brown spots on their abdomen,
back and head. Their brown tails are marked with thin white bands.
Life History
In Texas, Mexican spotted owls occur in the Guadalupe Mountains near the
New Mexico border. The owls prefer the coolest part of the forest, often
choosing nest trees on the northern or eastern-facing slopes. Nests on
cliffs in Texas are at 5,000 to 7,000 feet elevation in deep, cool
canyons. Most owlets (baby owls) leave the nest in June, about 35 days
after hatching. Owlets are unable to fly very well when they first leave
the nest, and their parents continue to feed them until they become
fully independent, usually by October.
Woodrats, mice, pocket gophers, birds, and insects make up the Mexican
spotted owl's diet. These owls hunt at night, moving from tree to tree,
pausing to look and listen for prey. Their nests consist of stick
platforms made by other birds, in tree cavities, and on cliff ledges,
and they lay 1 to 3 eggs during March or April. In 1990, it was
estimated that the Mexican spotted owl population for the southwestern
United States was 2,160 birds, extremely rare and local in Texas.
Habitat
They require mature, old-growth forests of white pine, Douglas fir, and
ponderosa pine; steep slopes and canyons with rocky cliffs for their
habitat.
Distribution
In Texas, the Mexican spotted owl occurs only in the mountains in the
Davis and Guadalupe Mountains of west Texas.
Other
The Mexican spotted owl has declined because of habitat loss and
alteration. Harvest of old-growth timber stands, even-aged timber
harvest systems, and wildfires have contributed to loss of habitat. In
Texas, Mexican spotted owls have been seen in or near Guadalupe
Mountains National Park, and on TNC (private) property in the Davis
Mountains of Jeff Davis County. They have never been found in any other
mountain ranges in Texas.
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