The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Wants Hunters to Cull Over 500,000 Striped Owls to Protect Native Species.
Striped Owl is an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, originally from the eastern United States, and poses a significant threat to protected native species, including the Northern Spotted Owl. In a draft management plan, the FWS aims to eliminate this invasive owl species and hopes to enlist hunters to shoot around half a million of them over the next 30 years, Newsweek reported on December 7.
The Striped Owl Threatens Native Wildlife in the U.S. (Photo: Mercury News).
The Striped Owl has been present in the Pacific Northwest since 1950. Currently, their population far exceeds that of the Northern Spotted Owl in Washington, Oregon, and California. They have become a threat to the Northern Spotted Owl due to their aggression and diverse diet, which includes everything from insects and amphibians to fish and various bird species. The Striped Owl is also larger and more territorial than the native owl, meaning they are displacing the Spotted Owl, disrupting nesting activities, competing for food sources, and even attacking when the native owls come too close.
In areas where the Striped Owl exists in high numbers, the population of the Northern Spotted Owl is rapidly declining. They are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with populations decreasing by 35% to 80% over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, there are over 100,000 Striped Owls in the territory of the Spotted Owl in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. This species is also moving south, invading the territory of the Spotted Owl in California.
To save the Northern Spotted Owl from the invasion of the Striped Owl, the FWS initially plans to cull about 20,000 owls in the first year, followed by 13,397 per year in the first decade, 16,303 in the second decade, and 17,390 per year in the third decade. The plan is expected to begin as early as 2025. Landowners or land managers can apply for permits to kill the owls.
Experts believe that this program will successfully protect the Spotted Owl, as research indicates that killing Striped Owls will help stabilize the threatened owl population. The management plan aims to eliminate about 30% of the total Striped Owl population. “We cannot eradicate them completely, but we can create areas with significantly lower densities of Striped Owls so that the Spotted Owl can survive and thrive,” shared Kessina Lee, the FWS office manager in Oregon.
