Isabella Gonzalez, Veterans Memorial Elementary School
Ocean County
Barred owl. Ocean County. Isabella Gonzalez
The Barred Owl
Greetings! My name is Bert and I am a Barred Owl.
Sadly, my species was put on the endangered species list. That means that I am an endangered animal. Being an endangered animal is kind of scary because you don't know when your species can become extinct. That is why I am here to prevent this from happening. To start you off, I would like to tell you about my species so then you can at least get some background information. I am a carnivore. The animals that I like to eat are: mice, rabbits, small birds, snakes, fish, bugs, and my favorite, lizards. Like many other Barred Owls, I have a pale face with dark rings around my eyes. I also have a yellow beak and brown eyes. My height is 40-63 cm and my weight is 500-1050 grams. I also enjoy sitting in trees which have small branches and moss. This helps me camouflage so I can catch my prey better. I live in nests in big holes left by branches. And the best part is, I never have to build my home because I use the left over nests from other animals!
So now that you know some information about me, its time to cut to the chase. I am going to explain why my species need protection. I need to be protected because not only I am endangered, but I have lots of other predators that can come and attack me easily. These predators are: raccoons, weasels, and nestlings. We are also run over by cars while trying to look for food or shelter. We also get tangled up in left over fishing line. Not only do we get tangled in fishing line, but we get trapped in plastic bags! Us, Barred Owls are also very important to the ecosystem because we are predators to smaller animals in the ecosystem. If my species were to become extinct, the population of small animals would over flow.
Since you now know why I need to be protected, I am going to give you some useful tips on what you could do to help my species. One way you could protect my species is to adopt me. Sure you won’t be able to bring me home, but you have protected an owl and I am sure they are grateful for that. Another way you can protect a Barred Owl is to STOP leaving your fishing lines in the water! You could also be a little more cautious when you are driving. Would it kill you to not use plastic bags? Instead use bags made of cloth. They are very stylish and still do the job. I hope you have learned how important it is to help keep animals protected. Because a little goes a long way on Earth. I hope you know that everybody can make a difference in the world just like you can.
Written by: Isabella Gonzalez
Veterans Memorial Elementary School, Brick
Teacher: Miss Duddy