Northern Spotted Owl

Strix occidentalis caurina

The Canadian distribution of the northern spotted owl is limited to the southwest coast of British Columbia, where it inhabits old-growth forests. Habitat and prey availability are probably the most important limiting factors for this species. At the request of the Committee for Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife (RENEW), the B.C. government established a Canadian Spotted Owl Recovery Team, whose mandate was to determine the status of the B.C. population and develop a recovery plan. Because the recovery plan would have implications for forest management and potential economic and social impacts, two documents were produced which the recovery team does not view as an adequate substitute for a recovery plan.