Wildfires are only getting worse and birds are suffering.
As our western states are impacted by bigger and stronger megafires, birds like California Spotted Owls and Western Burrowing Owls are rapidly losing the viable habitat necessary to raise their young—and are disappearing right before our eyes.
Fueled by record-breaking heat and unrelenting droughts, today’s wildfires are more intense, larger, and move faster than birds can adapt to. And when these fires are finally extinguished, the nesting habitats California Spotted Owls rely on are left completely barren and inhabitable. |
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Catastrophic wildfires, worsened by climate change and historical forest management practices could suddenly wipe out any remaining California Spotted Owls. Spotted Owl populations in many parts of their range shrank by at least 65 percent in just 40 years. Devastatingly, in some areas where these owls used to number in the hundreds, researchers could find only a single bird, if any.
That’s why we’re pushing for reduced emissions, greener energy, and more resilient landscapes to help reduce the threat of wildfires and minimize wildfire risk in the future. In fact, we advocated for the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act that together will allocate billions of dollars for addressing the risks and impacts of wildfires. |
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Habitats are being destroyed by violent fires. |
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Over the past three decades the climate crisis has doubled the area of the western United States affected by forest fires. |
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389 North American bird species are at increasing risk of climate extinction. |
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Between 1995 and 2018, Spotted Owl populations in California shrank by at least 65 percent. |
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Photo: Danny Hofstadter. Illustrations: California Spotted Owl, Burrowing Owl. |
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