Barred Owl Removal Frees 1,800 Square Kilometers of Spotted Owl Habitat in California
Updated
Updated · Lost Coast Outpost · Aug 12
Barred Owl Removal Frees 1,800 Square Kilometers of Spotted Owl Habitat in California
2 articles · Updated · Lost Coast Outpost · Aug 12
Summary
A California study estimates that removing 1,171 invasive barred owls has reopened more than 1,800 square kilometers of northern spotted owl habitat, including nearly 1,150 square kilometers of prime nesting and roosting forest.
GPS tracking of 56 barred owls across 4,070 square kilometers of northwestern California found they consistently selected the tallest, oldest and most structurally complex stands—the same old-growth habitat spotted owls depend on.
On average, 64% of a barred owl's home range overlapped mapped spotted owl habitat, and 38% covered the highest-quality nesting forest, showing how the invader turns protected trees into unusable habitat.
Each barred owl territory averaged 6.7 square kilometers—about 28 times larger than ranges previously measured in Louisiana—suggesting outsized pressure on old-growth prey and other wildlife beyond spotted owls.
The peer-reviewed findings bolster long-term regional barred owl management efforts by tribal, state and federal partners, while researchers say broader impacts on the old-growth food web still need study.