Northern Spotted Owl (Strix Occidentalis Caurina)
What a hoot of a species! A Brief Summary:
The Northern Spotted Owl is a medium-sized, dark brown owl ranging sixteen to nineteen inches in length and weighing roughly one pound on average. It is believed to have historically inhabited most forests throughout southwestern British Columbia, western Washington and Oregon, and northwestern California. Primarily occurring on U.S. Federal lands, the owls nest in cavities or on platforms in large trees. The Northern Spotted Owl have a distinct flight pattern which allows them to glide silently down upon their prey, mainly consisting of wood rats and flying squirrels. They typically need a large amount of land for hunting and nesting, and do not migrate unless it is completely necessary (usually in the case of extreme seasonal changes). The primarily nocturnal birds, with a lifespan ranging from 10-20 years, usually begin reproduction at three years of age. Females are generally larger in size than males, both genders having an average lifespan of 16-17 years. The Northern Spotted Owl is an “indicator” species, making them especially important in helping us understand the overall health of the ecosystem in which they live!
Hoo cares?
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) does! The Northern Spotted Owl was listed as threatened on June 26, 1990.
Why?
This was a result of two major factors, the first being the competition between the owls and the timber industry for old-growth forests. The extreme logging of these forests effects the owls for decades, as it takes at least that long for the forest to grow back to the point of sustainability that the Northern Spotted Owl’s require. The other threat is competition with Barred Owls, a species that out-compete Northern Spotted Owls for food and resources.
It is estimated that the amount of suitable habitat was been reduced by 60% in the last 190 years, with owl numbers declining annually since 1985. The current rate of the species’ decline is at 2.9% a year. Despite the listing and the protection of some critical habitat, trends suggest that the remaining, unprotected habitat could disappear within 10-30 years and many Spotted Owl populations are continuing to decline, especially in northern parts of their range. Currently, there are approximately three to five thousand pairs remaining in the wild, mainly located in Washington, Oregon and California.
How are we taking action to help the Spotted Owl species?
With a plan that is estimated to take up to 30 years cost around $127.1 million to succeed delisting, the Endangered Species Act is working on a recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owl. They are dedicating efforts both the issues of habitat and the barred owl population. They are continuing to recognize the importance of maintaining and restoring high value habitat while experimenting with the removal of Barred Owls from Spotted Owl habitat. The efforts to help habitat loss has been dedicated primarily to that of federal lands. Although the timber industry requires continued harvesting, new forest management practices focus on more limited harvesting, in areas not as preferred by Spotted Owls and with careful planning of sales.
1. Completion of a range-wide habitat modeling tool
2. Habitat conservation and active forest restoration
3. Barred owl management
4. Research and monitoring
Want to learn more?
Check out this short clip on the efforts being made to save the Northern Spotted Owl though both the preservation of the Old-Growth Forest and the controlling of the Barred Owl!
Sources:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/environment_impact/2009/04/owl.JPG
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/sgifs/Spottedowl_bw.GIF
http://media.oregonlive.com/environment_impact/photo/gs00024175a-grspottedowljpg-b79f5b3ce2e9e11b.jpg http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr850.pdf
http://www.defenders.org/northern-spotted-owl/basic-facts
http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/birds/northern-spotted-owl.aspx
http://www.owling.com/Spotted_nh.htm
http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/species/data/northernspottedowl
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