The spotted owl is a medium-sized owl native to western North America. It gets its name from the white spots on its head, neck and upper body. Spotted owls live in old-growth forests and depend on large trees for nesting and roosting. They mainly eat flying squirrels and woodrats.
The spotted owl has been declining in numbers since the early 1900s due to habitat loss from logging and wildfires. They were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990. Since then, efforts have been made to protect their remaining habitat on public and private lands.
Why are spotted owls endangered?
Spotted owls are endangered primarily due to habitat loss from logging of old-growth forests. They nest and roost in large hollow trees and snags that are typically over 200 years old. As these older forests have been logged, owls have lost nesting sites and their populations have declined.
Additional threats come from competition with barred owls, wildfires, climate change, and rodenticides. Barred owls have expanded into the Pacific Northwest and compete with spotted owls for habitat. More intense wildfires fueled by climate change have destroyed nesting areas. And ingestion of rodenticides used in illegal marijuana growing operations may also kill some owls.
Where do spotted owls live?
Spotted owls are found in coniferous forests from southwestern British Columbia through the Cascade Mountains and coastal ranges of Washington, Oregon and California. Their current range covers about 12.5 million acres but has shrunk significantly from historic times.
The three subspecies are:
– Northern spotted owl – Pacific Northwest from British Columbia to central California
– California spotted owl – Sierra Nevada Mountains and southern California
– Mexican spotted owl – Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico
How many spotted owls are left?
Recent estimates suggest there are only a few thousand breeding pairs of spotted owls left in the wild. Populations continue to decline by about 3% per year despite conservation efforts.
– Northern spotted owl – Less than 3,500 pairs estimated in 2019, down from as many as 7,500 pairs in the 1990s.
– California spotted owl – About 1,000 to 3,000 pairs estimated in 2012.
– Mexican spotted owl – About 1,200 to 2,300 individuals estimated in 2012.
The northern spotted owl has declined the most and is at greatest risk of extinction. Intensive logging of old-growth forests drove the initial population crash in the 1980s and 90s before numbers stabilized in the 2000s.
Protection Efforts
Many conservation measures have been implemented to try and save the northern spotted owl since it was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1990. These include habitat conservation plans, forest management policies, and barred owl control.
Habitat Conservation Plans
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) are agreements between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private landowners to protect species habitat. Over 20 HCPs have been established covering 7 million acres of spotted owl forest. These preserve nesting areas around known territory sites while allowing some timber harvest.
For example, the Washington Department of Natural Resources HCP covers 1.8 million acres of state forestlands. It identifies the highest quality owl habitat to maintain in Old Forest Habitat Areas and sets limits on harvest levels.
Federal Forest Management
In 1994, the Northwest Forest Plan dramatically reduced logging on 24 million acres of federal land to conserve old-growth forests for the northern spotted owl. It established a network of late-successional reserves to serve as habitat as well as protecting riparian areas and tree buffers around nest sites.
The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have also adopted new forest management policies to increase spotted owl habitat. Selective harvesting, thinning of young stands, and planting mixed species are used to accelerate development of old-growth characteristics.
Agency | Acres with spotted owl protections |
---|---|
U.S. Forest Service | 8.3 million |
Bureau of Land Management | 2.1 million |
Barred Owl Control
Barred owls compete with spotted owls for habitat and have contributed to their decline. Barred owl removals have been implemented in some areas to reduce this pressure.
From 2009-2019, 3,623 barred owls were removed from 6 areas in Oregon, Washington and California. Early results suggest spotted owl populations stabilized in 3 of these areas compared to continued declines in areas without removals. But the overall effectiveness is not yet clear.
Obstacles to Recovery
While progress has been made over the past 30 years to conserve spotted owl habitat, significant challenges remain. Climate change, wildfires, timber harvests, political opposition, and barred owl competition continue to hinder population recovery.
Climate Change
Climate change may alter forest composition in the Pacific Northwest to be less suitable for spotted owls. Hotter, drier conditions could increase large wildfires that destroy nesting habitat. Storms could also damage the large old-growth trees and snags owls require.
Wildfires
Intense wildfires have become more frequent, burning through thousands of acres of spotted owl habitat. The 2002 Biscuit Fire alone burned 500,000 acres of prime habitat in Oregon’s Siskiyou National Forest. Salvage logging after fires removes dead trees rather than leaving snag habitat.
Time period | Acres of spotted owl habitat burned |
---|---|
1990-1999 | 1.2 million |
2000-2009 | 2.7 million |
2010-2019 | 1.4 million |
Timber Harvests
Some timber harvesting continues in spotted owl habitat despite protections. From 2013-2018, an average of 28,000 acres per year was logged in Late Successional Reserves in Oregon. The timber industry and some politicians also continue to push for increased harvests which could impact owls.
Political Opposition
The timber industry and allies in congress have frequently tried to weaken protections for spotted owls. During the Trump administration, logging restrictions were reduced in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the largest remaining temperate rainforest. Similar rollbacks could occur under future administrations.
Barred Owl Competition
Barred owls now outnumber spotted owls in many areas of the Pacific Northwest. They are larger, more aggressive and able to adapt to a wider range of habitats. Owl removal experiments have had mixed success in reducing barred owl pressures. Completely eliminating barred owls is likely impossible at this point.
Other Conservation Actions
Some other initiatives are also underway that may aid spotted owl recovery:
Private Lands Conservation
Conservation groups purchase forestlands with prime owl habitat to permanently protect them from logging or development. For example, the Save the Redwoods League has preserved over 200,000 acres in California’s redwood region containing spotted owls.
Captive Breeding
No captive breeding program currently exists for spotted owls. But researchers have suggested establishing a captive population to conserve genetic diversity and potentially supplement wild populations. This controversial approach is still debated.
Public Outreach
Environmental organizations promote public education programs to build support for spotted owl conservation. Engaging the public helps ensure continued political commitment and funding for protection efforts.
Outlook for the Future
The spotted owl remains threatened despite 30 years of conservation initiatives. While logging of old-growth has been substantially reduced on public lands, habitat continues to be lost to wildfires, climate impacts, and competition from barred owls.
Stronger protections on federal and private lands are likely needed for populations to recover. Maintaining public support through education will be key to ensuring sufficient resources for habitat protection. Captive breeding may eventually be reconsidered if wild populations decline further.
In the long-term, preserving habitat connections across the owl’s range could enable migration and adaptation to climate change impacts. Creative solutions balancing timber harvests with owl protections on state and private lands must be found. With continued commitment, the iconic spotted owl can hopefully be recovered.