Endangered Birds. (2018, September 27). Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/nature/endangered-birds.htm

The Northern Spotted Owl is a creature that primarily thrives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Officially they were declared endangered in 1990 and currently, they live anywhere from Washington all the way down the West coast to Muir Woods in Marin County, California. As a result of where these creatures reside, there are several threats to their extinction. Massive, uncontrolled forest fires can occur in drier regions of Northern California and other unkempt forests. These fires eliminate large numbers of the creatures themselves in addition to the habitats they create amongst the trees. Anthropogenic causes also have a massive impact on this species as intense urban expansion can affect the quality of life inside protected areas where these owls reside.  

The northern spotted owl suffers from many of the same problems that humans do. The rampant fires that tear through our forests burn them too, and they too feel the toll of our pollution. But these creatures are not complicit in their destruction. They are the victims. The mismanagement of California’s forests is not a new problem but it is not going anywhere. By addressing the inferno problem we are protecting the northern spotted owl. If the hundreds of thousands of acres of destruction wasn’t enough to convince you.