Wherever you go, there they are.

Over the past century or so, barred owls have swooped across North America from east to west, inspiring wonder, admiration, and fear about the future of other owls, often all at once. Their story is complicated, as are the labels people attach to them. Are they native or not? And what can their presence in the Pacific Northwest reveal about what it means to belong to a place at this particular moment in history?

Came across this very nice article about the Barred Owl.

As opposed to most recent articles about the Barred Owl being about the pending elimination of a large chunk of the western population of them, this article focuses on how the Barred Owl made its westward journey, why they have been so successful, and the problems resulting from environmental changes expanding the habitat of one species while shrinking it for others.

There are many great facts and photos. It’s not written in a clickbait style. It’s a longer article, but it’s not fluffed up, just full of info. I really recommend you give it a read.

  • anon6789OP
    7•5 months ago

    No one knows the population of the little [Screach] owl before barred owls busted into their island habitat. They were common on Vancouver Island in 1972 and uncommon by 2005. But like survivors in the horror flick A Quiet Place, the remaining western screech owls may have embraced silence to avoid deadly attacks. Today, they may hoot less often, so they may be undercounted. (The same may be true of the northern spotted owls.)

    Strategic. But smart enough to ultimately outwit barred owls? “Barred owls seem to be quick learners,” Nightingale says.