Spotlight: California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) Range: The Sierra Nevada area/mountains including central coastal California to the ocean peninsula and southern California. Habitat: Large trees with big branches that provide hidden spaces to roost and nest. They need cool daytime spaces to hide out and survey the area below for nighttime meals of squirrels, woodrats, mice, pocket gophers, smaller birds, lizards, and insects. They also search in open areas to increase their food choices. Threats: Initially timber culling reduced nesting spaces and protection, followed by increasing frequency and devastation of forest fires, which is decreasing the quality and space of their habitat. Climate change, diseases, and other invasive or competitive species also have added negative impact on the California Spotted Owl. | 
