US to Kill Barred Owls | 08 Jul 2024
Recently, US wildlife officials have decided to kill Barred Owls (Strix varia) to help save the declining Spotted Owl (Strix Occidentalis) populations in the US.
- Under this plan, trained professionals and landowners will be allowed to shoot the barred owls. However, public hunting of barred owls will not be allowed.
- Barred owls are native to North America. They look similar to spotted owls.
- Barred owls are larger, more aggressive, and can readily adapt to their broad diet.
- Their invasion of the west of the US has put a heavy strain on the spotted owl, decreasing their populations by up to 65 to 85% between 1995 and 2017 in some areas.
- Killing would also help other species that they've been preying on such as salamanders and crayfish.
| Barred Owls | Spotted Owl | |
| IUCN Status | Least Concerned | Near Threatened |
| Habitat | Woodlands, wooded river bottoms, wooded swamps in North America | Mature forests of British Columbia and Washington. |
Read more: Spot Bellied Eagle Owl