Another on brink of extinction: Northern spotted owl added to endangered species list

New Delhi: Northern spotted owl, one of the three species of spotted owl, that thrives in mature and old-growth forest of northern California, is now facing the risk of extinction due to habitat loss.

Recently, the California Fish and Game Commission has listed Northern spotted owl under the California Endangered Species Act by a unanimous vote. The aggressive logging and developmental operations destroyed 90% of the old-growth forest in Washington state.

Not surprisingly, owl population have responded to the habitat loss by dropping their numbers steeply rate of 3.8 percent. Five years ago, this rate was 2.8%.

The northern spotted owl was labeled as a “threatened species” under the Federal Species Act in 1990 but the owls’ population has continued to decline.

Experts say changing the owl’s status from threatened to endangered could lead to efforts to increase owl habitat on federal lands, according to the Associated Press.