From helping them find mates to bettering their ability to camouflage, marks on animals and birds serve various purposes.

A popular symbol of the decline of Northwest forests, the medium-sized, chocolatey-brown northern spotted owl depends on the old-growth forests ... as well as by slashing more than a million acres of ...

DESCRIPTION: The northern spotted owl is a medium-sized, dark brown owl with a barred tail; white spots on its head, neck, and back; and dark brown eyes surrounded by a large, heart-shaped facial disk ...

The great horned owl is the most common owl of the Americas ... The birds nest in tree holes, stumps, caves, or in the abandoned nests of other large birds. Monogamous pairs have one to five ...