REGION — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week a proposal to protect California spotted owls under the Endangered Species Act.
In a Feb. 23 filing published in the Federal Register, the Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, proposed two subspecies of the California spotted owl — Sierra Nevada and Coastal-Southern California — receive protections under the 1973 law.
According to the USFWS, the Sierra Nevada population is being “impacted by high-severity fire, tree mortality, drought and barred owls” and should be placed under threatened status.
The Coastal Southern California owl, found along the state’s coastline and Transverse and Peninsular ranges, is in danger of extinction and should be listed as endangered.
A species is an endangered or threatened species due to one or more factors, including present or threatened habitat destruction; overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes; disease or predation; inadequate regulatory mechanisms; or other natural or manmade components.
Pam Flick, California program director at Defenders of Wildlife, said conservationists and animal advocates have lobbied the federal government to place the bird under a protected category for more than 20 years.
In 2019, the USFWS denied listing the bird as endangered, claiming it did not meet federal standards to warrant protection.
The following year, conservation groups Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Forest Legacy and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit alleging Fish and Wildlife’s rejection of protections for the owl was unlawful and not consistent with scientific research, according to legal documents.
“We are pleased to see the listing,” Flick said. “It’s high time and the petition has been in play for more than two decades. The spotted owl’s numbers have been declining during that time, particularly in national forests.”
Lesley Handa, an ornithologist for the San Diego Audubon Society, said these raptors can be found in San Diego County above 2,500 feet elevation and mostly feed on small mammals, such as flying squirrels and wood rats.
While it’s difficult to determine the exact number of owls in San Diego County or Southern California, Handa estimated between 25 to 50 pairs for the coastal species.
Flick said the owl’s decreasing population goes back nearly 40 years. According to a study, the spotted owl population experienced a 9% drop between 1987-1998, and follow-up analysis shows further decline.
The owl’s habitat has dwindled over the years due to wildfires, climate change, bark beetles, tree mortality, drought, logging and development. The northern population is also threatened by the invasive barred owl, which are larger and “outcompete spotted owls for habitat and food,” according to Oregon State University.
“Another concern we have is the spotted owl is very sensitive to disturbance,” Handa said. “Anytime there is development or even recreational activities it can be problematic. We’re always concerns about habitat loss.”
And even with a federal listing protecting the spotted owl, many logging operations would likely be exempt from having to comply with the rules under the Endangered Species Act, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Another challenge, Flick said, has been from rodenticides, or rat poisons, used by illegal cannabis operations to protect their crops. Once rodents ingest the poison, they become a potentially fatal meal for preying owls who can ingest the poison by eating the toxic rat.
As for birds in general, Handa said the total U.S. population has declined by more than 3 million since 1970.
“It’s scary how much habitat can be lost in a short time,” Handa said.
