Killing barred owls to save spotted owls

Northern spotted owl numbers have continued to decline in North America’s Pacific Northwest, partly due to competition from barred owls considered invasive in the region. The spotted owl has been protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 1990. To help the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) recover, some conservationists advocate for culling barred owls (S. varia). Others argue culling is too expensive and ineffective. A new study set out to estimate the relative cost of a targeted barred owl removal program and assess whether it could meaningfully support the northern spotted owl’s recovery. Northern spotted owls are native to the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. Logging and competition from barred owls have contributed to their threatened listi