Spotted owl
| Spotted owl | ||||||||||
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Strix occidentalis caurina |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Strix occidentalis | ||||||||||
| ( Xantus de Vesey , 1860) |
The spotted owl ( Strix occidentalis ) is a species of bird from the family of real owls (Strigidae), which is widespread in western North America. This bird species was the cause of widespread political controversy, particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as when it was recognized as an endangered species, millions of acres of old forests in the states of Washington , Oregon and California were banned from exploitation by the logging industry. The discussion was very sharp because logging in the forests of the American Northwest is a traditional profession, so classifying the species as endangered had far-reaching economic consequences. The disputes continue to this day. It was only in February 2008 that a US federal court upheld a decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to declare 34,800 square kilometers a special sanctuary for this species.
In the course of the discussions, more than a thousand scientific publications were made about the spotted owl, making it one of the best-studied species of owl in the world. The investigations consistently confirmed that the spotted owl hardly tolerates any intrusion into its habitat. The IUCN classifies the spotted owl as potentially endangered ( near threatened ). There are 3 subspecies in total: S. o. Occidentalis , S. o. Caurina (Northern spotted owl) and S. o. Lucida (Mexican spotted owl).
Appearance and reproduction
This owl has a length of 43 cm and a wingspan of up to 115 cm, its weight is around 600 g. The spotted owl is very similar to the Barred on, but has cross-shaped on the body bottom spots. The spotted owl is also slightly smaller and darker.
The eggs are 5 cm long, white in color and slightly spotted. The breeding is done by the female while the male is responsible for procuring food.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the spotted owl covers the western half of North America from British Columbia to Mexico. However, its distribution is patchy as it places high demands on its habitat. In the northwest it is mainly found in coniferous forests. Here he prefers areas that still have trees that are at least 200 years old. These must offer him nesting opportunities such as large tree hollows, old abandoned bird of prey nests, crevices in the rock or piles of branches in forked branches. The forest must also have a high density of small mammals such as American bush rats or New World flying squirrels or birds. 98 percent of all areas are in old forests that are still original. In forests in which wood is felled or which is degraded in another way, the more assertive barred owl often migrates, which displaces the spotted owl.
The nest can be between 12 and 60 m high.
Protection status
Efforts to place the spotted owl under special protection began in the 1970s. In 1982 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service checked the status of the spotted owl for the first time and decided not to classify it as an endangered species. This decision was confirmed again in 1987, but in 1988 first steps were taken to protect this species of owl. In 1990 the spotted owl was placed on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's early warning list. In 1991 logging was banned, although this ban was often circumvented. In 1994, one year after Bill Clinton took office, the responsible administration presented the Northwest Forest Plan, which was supposed to protect 16 million acres of forest from deforestation. The wood industry threatened with the loss of 30,000 jobs and it was possible several times to prevent protective measures in court.
Two subspecies, namely the northern ( S. o. Caurina ) and the Mexican spotted owl ( S. o. Lucida ), now fall under the Endangered Species Act in the United States of America . They are therefore under the special protection of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The nominate form , on the other hand, is not considered endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. However, the state of California has also classified the nominate form as threatened and the United States Forest Service (USFS) is also taking protective measures for this subspecies.
The populations of the northern spotted owl decrease particularly strongly on the northern edge of the distribution area. In the region, which stretches from the north of the US state of Washington to the southwest of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the population of spotted owls is halving almost annually. There are now fewer than 30 breeding pairs in British Columbia and it is feared that the species will become extinct here in the next few years.
There are still disputes between conservationists, the timber industry, cattle breeders, land developers and other interest groups over all subspecies of the spotted owl. In February 2008, a federal judge upheld the US Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to make 34,800 square kilometers in the US states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico a vital area for the spotted owl. That decision had been challenged in court by the Arizona Cattle Growers' Association , but Judge Susan Bolton upheld the decision.
Since the spotted owl in some regions of Barred is displaced, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced in summer 2013 that will be shot more than 3600 Streifenkauze in the states of California, Oregon and Washington in the next four years. It will then be observed whether the spotted owl populations in these areas recover.
literature
- Dominic Couzens : Rare Birds - Survivors, Evolution Losers and the Lost. Haupt Verlag, Bern 2011, ISBN 978-3-258-07629-4 .
Web links
- Strix occidentalis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed on December 23 of 2008.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Strix occidentalis in the Internet Bird Collection
Individual evidence
- ↑ Couzon, p. 149
- ↑ Couzon, pp. 148-149
- ^ Couzon, p. 150
- ^ Couzon, p. 150
- ↑ US Fish and Wildlife Service Listed animals
- ^ In Trouble in Canada - The Northern Spotted Owl (PDF; 631 kB) Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ↑ Arthur H. Rotstein: Habitat for Mexican spotted owl to stand. USAtoday, August 2, 2008, accessed September 9, 2012 .
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↑ US Fish and Wildlife Service of July 23, 2013: Encroaching Competitor Adds to Spotted Owl's Struggle.
seattletimes.com from July 23, 2013: Feds plan to shoot barred owls.