Washington officials are recommending keeping the northern spotted owl on the state's endangered species list.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released a draft periodic status review for the birds this week. The agency is accepting public comment on the document until Oct. 29.
The review found that the species' decline hasn't let up in Washington, and that the birds have declined by up to 90% in some areas. Tyler Cotten, WDFW conservation assessment section manager, said in a news release that since the original listing in 1988, "the likelihood of northern spotted owls becoming extinct in Washington has only increased."
"Despite management and conservation actions that have reduced the rate of northern spotted owl habitat loss, the Washington sub-population of spotted owls is still facing challenges that threaten population recovery, including competition by non-native barred owls," Cotten said.
The northern spotted owl is one of three spotted owl subspecies, and is the only one found in the Pacific Northwest, according to WDFW's website. It averages about 17 inches in length and has white spotting across a brown body.
Its range stretches from southwestern British Columbia south through the Cascade Range to northern California.
But in Washington, the birds are rare and populations are declining, according to WDFW. The agency's news release said there are about 1,200 documented owl territories in Washington, but that data suggests just 25% of them are occupied.
Washington's Fish and Wildlife Commission listed the owl as an endangered species in Washington in 1988. Federal protections under the Endangered Species Act followed in 1990.
The draft periodic status review of the northern spotted owl is available online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01752.
