Washington to Cull 450,000 Barred Owls to Protect Endangered Spotted Owls

Washington to Cull 450,000 Barred Owls to Protect Endangered Spotted Owls

Officials on the West Coast are set to begin a controversial plan to cull nearly 450,000 barred owls over the next 30 years as part of efforts to save the endangered Northern spotted owl.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is implementing the Barred Owl Management Strategy in Washington, Oregon, and California. The strategy, developed after years of research, aims to protect the Northern spotted owl, which has been listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency’s 2011 Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan identified barred owls as a major threat to the spotted owl population, alongside habitat loss. Barred owls have been outcompeting their Northern spotted counterparts for food and territory, pushing the species closer to extinction.

As part of the culling process, removal specialists will lure barred owls using megaphones playing recorded owl calls, as detailed in the 330-page plan. The controversial move is seen as a necessary step to prevent the extinction of the Northern spotted owl.