Spotted owl's diminishing numbers have some fearing species is doomed The northern spotted owl - an endangered icon that 14 years ago spurred a rescue effort so sweeping it brought old-growth logging to a virtual standstill in the Northwest - is now closer than ever to extinction. While there is disagreement over how bad it could get, some are contemplating the virtual disappearance of a bird elevated to sainthood by environmentalists and hung in effigy by loggers. The situation is particularly bad in Washington, where the rate at which owls are found at nesting sites has fallen by nearly half since 1994. Scientists blame the decline largely on the invasion of a tougher owl and the loss of much of their habitat to decades of logging....