Woodlands in western North America are changing fast. Intensifying wildfires, spreading diseases, and recurring droughts reshape habitats, creating what ecologists call a shifting “mosaic” of trees, open meadows, and old-growth forests.

The Mexican Spotted Owl is an emblematic, threatened species that feels the effects of these transitions.

To better understand changes to owl populations, researchers in southern New Mexico captured three owls in 2023 and 2024. They tracked the owl’s nighttime feeding movements during the summers with tail-mounted GPS units.

Each owl in the study responded differently to past forest disturbances. One preferred areas that had been thinned for fire prevention, another favored a mix of burned and unburned forest, and the third relied on a small patch of ins

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