Ear Tufts: Feathers that are found on top of ears for owls. The spotted owl does not have any.
Plumage: The covering of feathers on a bird.
Important Facts of Physical Characteristics of a Spotted Owl:
The Looks
A spotted owl has many physical characteristics that can differ them from other owls. |
| The Spotted Owl has a wingspan of 48 inches and a height and length of 18 inches. |
- This bird isn't very large; it is a medium sized owl with a height and length of 18 inches. It has a wingspan of 48 inches.
- Although all birds are a similar size, the female is slightly larger than the males.
- Their plumage is covered in dark brown feathers which result in almost silent flight.
- These feathers are speckled with white, round spots; this is how the spotted owl got its name.
- However, instead of spots, there are horizontal stripes on the tail.
- To continue, the spotted owl has large, dark eyes that are adapted to the darkness of the night.
- On its' round head, there are no ear tufts, yet they have very good hearing as the eyes and ears are sensitive.
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| The physical characteristics of a spotted owl. |
The spotted owl has its own physical characteristics that help differ it from others.
Look Alikes?
Although the spotted owl has its' own physical characteristics to help it differ from other owls, the spotted owl looks similar to the barred owl. This is because the coating of feathers are alike in colour. However, the barred owl has vertical, brown streaks instead of spots. Even though the characteristics are similar, the spotted owl has various physical characteristics of its own.  |
| On the left, there is a barred owl and on the right, a spotted owl. Although they look alike in colour, they have a different pattern of feathers. |
