U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Kill Barred Owls to Save Spotted Owls
Posted on July 27, 2013
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is playing owl god in the forests of the Northwest to save the endangered northern spotted owl. In order to save the northern spotted owl, the FWS says it must kill barred owls. A barred owl is pictured above and a spotted owl is pictured below. The FWS explains the plan in a press release.
The FWS says barred owls are the most pressing threat to the northern spotted owl. They also say barred owls are larger than northern spotted owls, more aggressive and have a broader diet. The barred owl will be removed from test areas using both lethal and non-lethal methods.
FWS Service Director Dan Ashe says in a statement, "We can't ignore the mounting evidence that competition from barred owls is a major factor in the northern spotted owl's decline, along with habitat loss. We are working with our partners to improve forest health and support sustainable economic opportunities for local communities, and this experimental removal will help us determine whether managing the barred owl population also helps recover the northern spotted owl."
The barred owl is a native U.S. species, but only recently arrived in the West. They were first documented in the range of the northern spotted owl in Canada in 1959 and in western Washington in 1973.
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