Saving the Spotted Owl: Zalea's Story

Readers learn about saving threatened species — and meet real owls! - in this endearing true story of an owl chick’s rescue.

One day, Zalea, a three-week-old northern spotted owl, fell from her tree. Her parents were unable to carry her back to their nest. That meant Zalea, a member of a threatened species, would now be easier for predators to find. But Zalea got lucky. Wildlife biologists who saw her on the ground decided to rescue her. They brought her to the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Centre in Langley, British Columbia. There, she joined a handful of other owls being cared for until they could be released back into the wild. The biologists took great care with Zalea, first placing her with foster parents and later helping her find a mate. They’re committed to saving the northern spotted owl — one owl at a time!

In this informative and hopeful book, Nicola Jones, an award-winning science journalist, uses Zalea’s compelling story as a framework to teach and explore the biology and life cycle of owls, as well as raise awareness of environmental concepts such as conservation and habitat protection and the inspiring work of this all-female scientist crew. Information boxes and sidebars with owl facts and loads of other relevant information appear throughout the book alongside the narrative about Zalea’s rescue. Alexandra Finkeldey’s gorgeous art illustrates the story and the science content, and there are real-life photos of the adorable owls, too! This book has curriculum links to life science lessons on biodiversity, ecosystems, endangered species and animal habitats. A glossary, index, author’s note and information on how readers can help round out this usable and highly readable book.