| California Spotted Owl
Yosemite
May 2009
Spotted Owls are one of my favorite owls. They are extremely inquisitive and bold. The heartbreak is that this makes them very vulnerable. Their habitat needs are limited to very old growth forests. Once established in a territory they will not move and if that territory is disturbed or destroyed the owl will often die rather than move. The extreme decline in old growth forests (habitat loss), and encroachment of their bigger cousin the Barred Owl make the future of this species a real question in my mind. This particular owl flew up within a few feet and just softly started calling at us. What a wonderful encounter.
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