Smithsonian Reports Spotted Owl In Danger Again
The January 2009 issue of Smithsonian Magazine reports that the spotted owl is in danger again. Once the subject of a battle between environmentalists and industry (loggers), this time the owl is facing a natural competitor, a bigger bird: the barred owl.
According to Craig Welch, the writer of Smithsonian article:
As climate chaos disrupts migration patterns, wind, weather, vegetation and river flows, unexpected conflicts will arise between species, confounding efforts to halt or slow extinctions.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
When the bald eagle declined, it faced pressure from the golden eagle in a variety of places, and it changed ecosystems. The Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island (Channel Islands, outside Santa Barbara) became endangered because the golden eagle preyed on it, and the bald eagle did not. As the USFWS recovered the habitat for bald eagles and captively bred island foxes, both populations have recovered, and golden eagles are no longer a problem on the island. Small changes in ecosystems can wreak havoc!