CALIFORNIA SPOTTED OWL 207 



adult hooted, they used the indicated arrangement of two long and 

 two short notes." 



Field marks. — A large, round-faced bird, without ear tufts and with 

 large, spectral black eyes, the spotted owl cannot "be mistaken for any 

 other western owl. The brown plumage, conspicuously spotted with 

 white both above and below, is distinctive; this color pattern produces 

 an excellent camouflage, helping to conceal the inactive bird among 

 the flickering lights and shadows of the forest foliage. It differs from 

 other owls too in its tameness and apparent stupidity, which makes it 

 an easy bird to observe at short range. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern British Columbia and Western United 

 States and Mexico. Nonmigratory. 



The range of the spotted owl extends north to southern British 

 Columbia (Mount Lehman, Chilliwack, and the Hope Mountains); 

 northern Arizona (Grand Canyon National Park) ; and northern New 

 Mexico (Water Canyon and Santa Fe Mountains). East to New 

 Mexico (Santa Fe Mountains, Manzano Mountains, San Mateo 

 Mountains, and Sacramento Mountains); western Texas (McKit- 

 trick Canyon); Guanajuato (Guanajuato); and Michoacan (Mount 

 Tancitaro). South to Michoacan (Mount Tancitaro); southern Ari- 

 zona (Paradise, Huachuca Mountains, and the Santa Rita Mountains) ; 

 and southern California (Mount Smith and Palomar Mountain). 

 West to California (Palomar Mountain, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, 

 Mount Tamalpais, Bohemia, Ferndale, Eureka, and Shaldeford 

 Creek); Oregon (Siuslaw River in Lane County, probably Scio, and 

 probably Netarts); Washington (Ohanapecosh Hot Springs, Tacoma, 

 Kirkland, and Mount Vernon); and southwestern British Columbia 

 (Mount Lehman). 



Casual records. — One was reported as seen on August 10, 1922, ten 

 miles west of Glacier National Park, Mont. The late C. E. H. Aiken 

 reported that one killed near Colorado Springs, Colo., was brought to 

 him about 1875 and that he had seen another in Deadmans Canyon 

 in the same general vicinity during June or July 1873. The disposi- 

 tion of the Aiken specimen is unknown, and, since other Colorado 

 records are not considered satisfactory, the inclusion of this species 

 in the bird list of that State rests on slender evidence. All records 

 for spotted owls in Baja California are too indefinite for serious 

 consideration. 



Egg dates. — California: 15 records, March 1 to May 10; 8 records, 

 March 27 to April 1, indicating the height of the season. 



Arizona and New Mexico: 4 records, April 4 to 17. 



