© 2007 Judith Gebhard Smith....Science Art-Birds

Title: En Garde
Species: Northern Spotted Owl (Strix Occidentalis Caurina)
Artist: Judith Gebhard Smith (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: 11" x 13"
Media: pastel
Date: 2007
Private Collection:

The artist wrote: "It is noted that we have less than 500 pairs of these large owls in Washington state. This is primarily due to loss of habitat. As the old growth forest disappears so does this beautiful predator. They are territorial and do not migrate which increases the pressure on their continued existence. I have been particularly moved by the heated dispute between the logging industry and the environmentalists, and the plight of this little fellow caught  between a rock and a hard place."

These owls are also at risk to natural disasters, of course, and increasingly to the Barred Owl whose range has been expanding from the east.  For a discussion on the Barred Owll, see the painting in this section by Guy Coheleach.