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Owls at War: Shooting to Save a Species
22 Jul
Summary
- Thousands of barred owls have been killed to save the northern spotted owl.
- Killing barred owls stabilized spotted owl populations in experimental areas.
- A plan aims to kill 450,000 barred owls over 30 years to create refuges.
Efforts to save the northern spotted owl, previously threatened by logging, now focus on managing invasive barred owls. Barred owls aggressively displace northern spotted owls from their habitats. To counter this, conservationists have resorted to lethal control methods, deeming it the only viable option.
Extensive experiments conducted in Washington, Oregon, and California have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach. Between 2009 and 2019, over 2,400 barred owls were killed in test areas, resulting in stabilized spotted owl populations. In contrast, spotted owl numbers declined by 12% annually in untreated areas.
These findings have prompted the US Fish and Wildlife Service to propose a large-scale plan. This initiative, set to begin in 2024, aims to establish spotted owl refuges across more than 50,000 square miles. Over the next 30 years, the plan could involve the lethal removal of up to 450,000 barred owls.
