US Plans to Cull Barred Owls to Rescue Endangered Spotted Owls

To prevent the extinction of the spotted owl, U.S. wildlife officials have proposed a controversial plan. This strategy involves sending trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to eliminate nearly half a million barred owls. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aims to support declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington, and California.

The plan, revealed on Wednesday, outlines that up to 450,000 barred owls will be shot over three decades. These birds from the eastern U.S. have invaded the habitats of northern and California spotted owls on the West Coast. The smaller spotted owls struggle to compete with barred owls, which have larger broods and require less space.

Barred Owl Removal Strategy

Past conservation efforts focused on protecting forests where spotted owls live, leading to conflicts over logging but slowing their decline. However, the recent increase in barred owl populations is undermining these efforts. "Without actively managing barred owls, northern spotted owls will likely go extinct in all or the majority of their range," said Kessina Lee, Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon state supervisor.

The idea of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates. Some compare it to past government efforts to protect West Coast salmon by killing sea lions and cormorants or preserving warblers by eliminating cowbirds. Wayne Pacelle, founder of Animal Wellness Action, criticised the plan, predicting it would fail as more barred owls would migrate into areas where others were killed.

Implementation and Support

The shootings are expected to begin next spring. Barred owls will be lured using megaphones broadcasting recorded owl calls and then shot with shotguns. Carcasses will be buried on-site. Researchers have already removed about 4,500 barred owls from some spotted owl habitats since 2009.

Supporters of the plan include the American Bird Conservancy and other conservation groups. Steve Holmer, Vice President of the American Bird Conservancy, stated that while killing barred owls is unfortunate, reducing their numbers could allow them to coexist with spotted owls in the long term.

Environmental Impact and Opposition

The killings would reduce nationwide barred owl numbers by less than 1%, compared to potential extinction for spotted owls if no action is taken. Public hunting of barred owls will not be allowed; designated government agencies, landowners, American Indian tribes or companies will carry out the killings.

Opponents argue that mass killing of barred owls could disrupt forest ecosystems and lead to mistaken shootings of other species, including spotted owls. They also challenge the notion that barred owls do not belong on the West Coast, viewing their range expansion as a natural ecological phenomenon.

Historical Context

The barred owl plan follows decades of conflict between conservationists and timber companies over older forests where spotted owls reside. Efforts in the 1990s led to logging bans that affected the timber industry but did not stop the decline of spotted owl populations after barred owls appeared on the West Coast.

Across study sites in the region, at least half of spotted owls have been lost, with losses exceeding 75% in some areas. Katherine Fitzgerald leads the wildlife service's northern spotted owl recovery program and highlights these significant declines.

Federal Protections

Northern spotted owls are federally protected as a threatened species. In 2020, federal officials determined they needed an upgrade to "endangered" status due to continued decline but did not act on it at that time. California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year, with a decision pending.

Under former President Donald Trump, habitat protections for spotted owls were stripped at the timber industry's behest but reinstated under President Joe Biden after it was found that Trump's appointees relied on faulty science.

The final environmental study on this proposal will be published soon, opening a 30-day comment period before a final decision is made.