Have you ever heard of the Northern Spotted Owl? They are beautiful, brown owls with round, dark eyes. They live in forests throughout southwestern British Columbia all the way to Washington, Oregon, and northern California in the United States. Northern Spotted owls usually eat small forest mammals, such as flying squirrels, woodrats, voles, and mice. But, would you be surprised if we told you that they are endangered?
Their primary threats are competition from the aggressive and invasive barred owls, as well as habitat loss and wildfires. A Barred Owl’s appearance is similar to a Spotted Owl’s, but a major difference is that they are just a few inches taller with a dark, vertical barring on their breast. Barred Owls are more aggressive than Spotted Owls, and they can densely occupy territories and pack other habitats.
You may wonder, why do we have to protect these Spotted Owls? They’re key predators in the woods, keeping small animal populations in balance. They’re also indicators of forest health. It is not too late to prevent Northern Spotted Owls from going extinct by protecting the old-growth habitat on federal lands in the updated Northwest Forest Plan. This plan was put in place in 1994 to restore habitat to protect the Northern Spotted Owl, other species, and forest products for the owls to thrive in. Our actions of protecting the Northern Spotted Owl will save an entire ecosystem.
In conclusion, the Northern Spotted Owl is going endangered, and we can help protect them by saving the forest. Specifically, we can stop taking forest lands for our own benefit, and save some for the endangered species, like the Northern Spotted Owls. According to www.worldwildlife.org, we can use alternatives for construction materials like bamboo, flax, hemp, and wheat straw. So, what are you waiting for? Small changes like this can mean saving a whole entire ecosystem.