Northern Spotted Owl Josh Gillespie
Northern Spotted Owl
By: Josh Gillespie
By: Josh Gillespie
Description and Ecology
Northern Spotted Owls are dark brown in color with rectangular-shaped white spots all over their bodies. Their eyes are very dark, and they are pretty average in size compared to other owls. They typically are found perked on old deformed or deceased trees in the forests that range from Southwest British Columbia to the Washington, Oregon, and California areas. These areas are optimal for them to have sufficient nesting, breeding, and foraging grounds. Northern Spotted Owls are nocturnal and mainly consume small forest animals, including mice, squirrels, and insects.
Geographic and Population Changes
Climate change in the areas where the Northern Spotted Owls are located is a major issue for them. In the Cascades, there is an increasing water deficit, which is bad for the trees and soil in the ecosystems that the owls belong to. In the Pacific Northwest, temperatures are rising in low-elevation forests, which will also likely decrease tree growth. Many Spotted Owl populations are declining rapidly. A 2015 study showed that the Spotted Owl populations in California have declined 32 to 55 percent since 1985, and they've declined even more in Washington and Oregon. Habitat suitability has gone down substantially for these owls, so many have migrated to the areas of Oregon's eastern and western cascades which are most and often better for nesting.
Listing Date and Type of Listing
Northern Spotted Owls were listed as endangered on June 6th, 1990. A recovery plan was enacted in 2008 for these owls, and the revised plan was made in 2011.
Cause of Listing and Main Threats to its Continued Existence
There are many threats and reasons that Northern Spotted Owls were listed as endangered. Some of the reasons that these owls were listed as endangered are that their populations are declining, more of their habitats are being destroyed, and there has been an increase in competition. One of the main threats for them are barred owls, whose numbers in spotted owl territories have increased in recent years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes that at least some barred owls inhabit all of the territories that the Northern Spotted Owls live in. These barred owls take away some of the resources and habitats that would otherwise be available to spotted owls, including nesting areas, breeding spots, feeding areas. Habitat destruction is the other big threat to Northern Spotted Owls.
The timber harvest, as well as climate change that has resulted in more wildfires and other disturbances has caused spotted owl habitats to be fragmented and destroyed. These two main issues pose big threats to these owls.
Description of Recovery Plan
The recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owls includes the management of spotted owl habitats, forest restoration, and barred owl management.
1. For managing their habitats in moist areas, the service recommends that silviculture techniques be implemented within overstocked and young stands to increase structural complexity, aid in the health of trees, and make the ecosystem more resilient to climate change. In areas that land managers believe that spotted owls would thrive in the future, restoring lost species and structural diversity within the historical range of tolerance, as well as implementing actions like fire suppression would likely help the spotted owls.
2. For managing forest restoration, management around trees to eliminate potential moisture competitors is also recommended by the service because trees are very critical parts of spotted owl habitats. In dry areas, the thinning of trees to improve tree vigor and keep water in them is advised. The ridding of bark beetles is also an idea that could aid in the health of these trees, but caution should be taken in doing so, as this could potentially spur mountain pike beetle colonization at the stand, which would be bad for the trees. Managing and emulating natural disturbances in certain areas would help forest ecosystems become more resilient to disturbances in the future.
3. The service plans to develop and maintain areas in which the barred owl threat is low and the landscapes are resilient to fires. For the management of barred owls, the service recommends doing removal experiments to determine the impact of barred owls on spotted owls. Then they plan to manage the negative effects of barred owls by controlling their populations in a way that would be most beneficial for spotted owls.
What Can You Do To Help These Guys?
Listing Date and Type of Listing
Northern Spotted Owls were listed as endangered on June 6th, 1990. A recovery plan was enacted in 2008 for these owls, and the revised plan was made in 2011.
Cause of Listing and Main Threats to its Continued Existence
There are many threats and reasons that Northern Spotted Owls were listed as endangered. Some of the reasons that these owls were listed as endangered are that their populations are declining, more of their habitats are being destroyed, and there has been an increase in competition. One of the main threats for them are barred owls, whose numbers in spotted owl territories have increased in recent years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes that at least some barred owls inhabit all of the territories that the Northern Spotted Owls live in. These barred owls take away some of the resources and habitats that would otherwise be available to spotted owls, including nesting areas, breeding spots, feeding areas. Habitat destruction is the other big threat to Northern Spotted Owls.
Description of Recovery Plan
The recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owls includes the management of spotted owl habitats, forest restoration, and barred owl management.
1. For managing their habitats in moist areas, the service recommends that silviculture techniques be implemented within overstocked and young stands to increase structural complexity, aid in the health of trees, and make the ecosystem more resilient to climate change. In areas that land managers believe that spotted owls would thrive in the future, restoring lost species and structural diversity within the historical range of tolerance, as well as implementing actions like fire suppression would likely help the spotted owls.
2. For managing forest restoration, management around trees to eliminate potential moisture competitors is also recommended by the service because trees are very critical parts of spotted owl habitats. In dry areas, the thinning of trees to improve tree vigor and keep water in them is advised. The ridding of bark beetles is also an idea that could aid in the health of these trees, but caution should be taken in doing so, as this could potentially spur mountain pike beetle colonization at the stand, which would be bad for the trees. Managing and emulating natural disturbances in certain areas would help forest ecosystems become more resilient to disturbances in the future.
3. The service plans to develop and maintain areas in which the barred owl threat is low and the landscapes are resilient to fires. For the management of barred owls, the service recommends doing removal experiments to determine the impact of barred owls on spotted owls. Then they plan to manage the negative effects of barred owls by controlling their populations in a way that would be most beneficial for spotted owls.
This graph shows the recent migration of barred owls to the coastal
areas that spotted owls occupy.
What Can You Do To Help These Guys?
Anyone can donate to some of the organizations that help Northern Spotted Owls. One such project is called EPIC, which is an organization that campaigns for the protection of spotted owls. Also, putting a name down for a petition can help get projects done or prevent destructive projects from being done.
Other Resources
Here are a few websites where you can find more information:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/action-issues/
https://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/promo.cfm?id=177175734
https://www.kswild.org/imperiled-species-profiles/2017/6/12/northern-spotted-owl
Sources
“Basic Facts About Northern Spotted Owls.” Defenders of Wildlife, 19 Sept. 2016, www.defenders.org/northern-spotted-owl/basic-facts.
Group, Pacific Region Web Development. “Northern Spotted Owl Recovery - Oregon Fish & Wildlife Office.” Official Web Page of the U S Fish and Wildlife Service, 2 Nov. 2012, www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/NorthernSpottedOwl/Recovery.asp.
“Northern Spotted Owl.” Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, www.kswild.org/imperiled-species-profiles/2017/6/12/northern-spotted-owl.
“Northern Spotted Owl.” Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/articles.cfm?id=149489595.
Other Resources
Here are a few websites where you can find more information:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/action-issues/
https://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/promo.cfm?id=177175734
https://www.kswild.org/imperiled-species-profiles/2017/6/12/northern-spotted-owl
Sources
“Basic Facts About Northern Spotted Owls.” Defenders of Wildlife, 19 Sept. 2016, www.defenders.org/northern-spotted-owl/basic-facts.
Group, Pacific Region Web Development. “Northern Spotted Owl Recovery - Oregon Fish & Wildlife Office.” Official Web Page of the U S Fish and Wildlife Service, 2 Nov. 2012, www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/NorthernSpottedOwl/Recovery.asp.
“Northern Spotted Owl.” Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, www.kswild.org/imperiled-species-profiles/2017/6/12/northern-spotted-owl.
“Northern Spotted Owl.” Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/articles.cfm?id=149489595.
Reading this blog, and seeing the picture reminded me of Headwig, the Owl from Harry Potter! It is really sad to see the Spotted Owl population is rapidly declining due to climate change, and that the species is listed as endangered as a result. Habitat destruction and fragmentation is really a huge theme that I have seen throughout the blogs that I have seen so far, and I really hope that our generation becomes more conscious of the environment to ensure the survival of all of these endangered and threatened species.
ReplyDelete-Jay Gubbi
I have seen and heard these owls on my ranch in northern California. They have such a distinct sound! Glad we aren't doing anything to hurt these populations!
ReplyDeleteNicely done!
~Brody Gill
As for as protecting the Spotted Owls, I find it difficult to determine my stance on what to do about the Barred Owls because although killing them wold be the easiest way to prevent them from harming Spotted Owl populations, it just seems wrong.
ReplyDelete-Isabelle Farrell
The fact that Spotted Owls are being threatened by another species of owl is very troubling to me. In terms of conservation, I don't know if there is a clear answer to this problem. Of course deal with climate change and habitat destruction--but what about the Barred Owl? Do we have to kill them in order to save Spotted Owls? Who are we to make that decision on who lives and who dies?
ReplyDeleteAnyways, great job!
-Cole Fukai
The debate between what to do about the Spotted Owl and the Barred Owl is clearly not a a simple one. As we've talked about in class, the fact that the endangerment of the Spotted Owl is caused by humans becomes the question of it's our responsibility to help them or let nature take its course. Hopefully, a solution may be proposed which would save both Spotted and Barred Owls.
ReplyDelete-Samantha Friesen
The competition between the Spotted Owl and Barred Owl is obviously very complicated and it will not be easy to fix. I wonder through there experimenting what the real impact the Barred Owl actually has on the Spotted Owl. I also find it interesting and have seen this through a lot of other blogs that it takes a very long time from when it first went on the endangered species list for it to be helped. The Spotted Owl went 18 years on the endangered species list without having a recovery plan enacted! That is a very long time!
ReplyDelete-Katie Halstead
Owls have always been one of my favorite animals, and it was really interesting reading about them. It's crazy how their populations have decreased from between 32-55% since 1985. The conflict between spotted owls and barred owls for habitats and resources is a difficult topic. It was interesting reading a little bit more about it after it being mentioned in class. Great job on your blog!
ReplyDelete-Rebekah Fesmire
The spotted owl are wonderful creatures and its a shame to see them be affected so harshly by climate change. The complication caused by the Barred owl does not make it any easier for the spotted owl to recover. The blog is great, good job.
ReplyDeleteGavin Griffin