spotted owl
noun
: a rare large dark brown dark-eyed owl (Strix occidentalis) that has barred and spotted underparts and is found in humid old growth forests and thickly wooded canyons from British Columbia to southern California and central Mexico
especially
: northern spotted owl
Examples of spotted owl in a Sentence
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Once barred owls start colonizing old-growth forests, rare spotted owls no longer have a home.
—
Mitch Friedman, Denver Post, 10 June 2025
Barred owls displace spotted owls, disrupt their nesting, compete for food and in some cases, have interbred or killed spotted owls.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity said logging on public lands risks polluting water and threatens the more than 400 species protected under the Endangered Species Act that rely on national forests, including grizzly bears, spotted owls and wild salmon.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Their population in California, Oregon and Washington now surpasses that of the native spotted owls, the service said.
—Adrian Rodriguez, The Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2025
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Mitch Friedman, Denver Post, 10 June 2025
Barred owls displace spotted owls, disrupt their nesting, compete for food and in some cases, have interbred or killed spotted owls.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity said logging on public lands risks polluting water and threatens the more than 400 species protected under the Endangered Species Act that rely on national forests, including grizzly bears, spotted owls and wild salmon.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Their population in California, Oregon and Washington now surpasses that of the native spotted owls, the service said.
—Adrian Rodriguez, The Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotted owl
Cite this Entry
“Spotted owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotted%20owl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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