Study Reinforces Need to Protect Sonoran Desert Pygmy Owls Under U.S. Endangered Species Act

The cactus ferruginous pygmy owl population in northern Sonora, Mexico, has declined over the past nine years, according to an ongoing monitoring effort by University of Arizona researcher Aaron Flesch. The report’s dismal findings support efforts by the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation organizations to reinstate protection for the tiny owl under the Endangered Species Act. "The pygmy owl is near extinction in Arizona, has declined markedly in northern Mexico, and needs immediate protection," said Noah Greenwald, science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. On May 30, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that a petition from the Center, Defenders of Wildlife, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility presented substantial information that pygmy owls in Arizona and Sonora... [read full story]