U.S. wildlife officials next year will scale up efforts to kill invasive barred owls that are crowding out imperiled native owls from West Coast forests.
FILE - In this May 8, 2003, file photo, a Northern Spotted Owl flies after an elusive mouse jumping off the end of a stick in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Ore. Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to preserve protections for 3.4 million acres of northern spotted owl habitat from the US-Canadian border to northern California . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed protections for the old-growth forest in the last days of the Trump administration.
Killing one bird species to save others has divided wildlife advocates and is reminiscent of past government efforts to save West Coast salmon by killing sea lions and cormorants, and to preserve warblers by killing cowbirds that lay eggs in warbler nests. The barred owl removals would be among the largest such effort to date involving birds of prey, researchers and wildlife advocates said.
"It's not just one owl versus one owl," said David Wiens, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist who led a barred owl removal study that ended in 2020. "Because of their predatory behavior, they are basically eating anything in the forest and this includes amphibians, small mammals, other bird species." Some wildlife advocates have backed the barred owl killings. Others say it's a reckless diversion from needed forest preservation and won't stop barred owls from migrating into the region.
Barred owls are highly territorial, which makes killing them relatively straightforward, according to researchers. Shooters use megaphones to broadcast recorded owl calls at night and lure the birds close to roads where they are killed with shotguns. About 4,500 barred owls birds have been killed on the West Coast since 2009 by researchers, according to officials.
Spotted Owls West Coast Wildlife Officials Killings California Oregon Washington
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
East Coast Battles West Coast For Offshore Floating Wind TitleFrom California to Maine, the race to build vast arrays of offshore floating wind turbines is finally taking shape after years of R&D.
Read more »
55 Years Ago: Apollo 11 Astronauts End Quarantine, Feted from Coast to CoastOn Aug. 10, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin completed their 21-day quarantine after returning from
Read more »
Toyota Canada Turns 60: From coast to coast we go | Car NewsAuto123 was on hand last week to help kick off Toyota Canada’s cross-country road trip to mark its 60 years of operation. Happy Kanreki!
Read more »
The college football season is packed with mouthwatering games from coast to coastConference realignment has brought Oklahoma and Texas into the SEC, Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC into the Big Ten and Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado into the Big 12. Because the conferences at the top are so loaded now, there will be more big games in league play.
Read more »
Coast-to-coast conferences, expanded playoff mark season of change in college footballA new era has arrived in college football, with some of the most recognizable programs in history now playing in different leagues.The postseason is different,
Read more »
2024 college football season packed with mouthwatering games from coast to coastThe Southeastern Conference mantra — 'It Just Means More' — will ring true for college football matchups well beyond that powerhouse league this season.Schedule
Read more »