The Mexican Spotted Owl is native to New Mexico. It is categorized as near threatened on the IUCN Red List. There are a total of 15,000 Mexican Spotted Owls in all. In Texas they are a threatened species.
The Scientific name for the Mexican Spotted Owl is Strix Occidentalis. As seen in the pictures above, it is a golden brown color with white spots. And unlike most owls, they have dark eyes. They also have a small white band on their tails. They can grow to be 19 inches high and 17 inches long.
The Mexican Spotted Owl is a bird, of course. But this also classifies it as a Vertabrae. You can also find these birds in Texas near the Guadalupe Mountains. The birds eat mice, other birds, and insects, and even gophers.
The reason these birds are threatened is because they are losing their habitat, or it is being altered too much for them to survive. They need certain types of trees, like white pines and Douglas firs, that are being cut down. They are also losing their habitat due to wildfires.
Sources:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16435490@N00/230145608/in/set-72157594261932343/
http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Display.asp?FlNm=striocci
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/20904/summ
http://www.endangeredspecie.com/states/nm.htm
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/mexowl/
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/spotted_owl,_mexican.php
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