The barred owl is perching quietly waiting to see its prey below. It eats small mammals, amphibians, insects, birds, reptiles and spiders.

Among the most inspiring and fascinating avian species are those belonging to the family of owls.

There are 19 different species in Canada and the United States. The great horned owl is the most common and one of the largest owls in North America. The beautiful white snowy owl is slightly larger than the great horned owl, but the great gray owl is the largest of the three. The northern saw-whet, elf owl, and burrowing owl are among our smallest owls.

Most birders I know always hope to see an owl. Owls are magnificent and charismatic, and they are popular with children and adults alike. Witness the importance of owls in the Harry Potter series to the various characters, like Harry himself!

Then there are the mid-sized owls. Included in the list is the barred owl and the spotted owl. The barred owl is the larger bird at about 21 inches compared to the spotted owl at 15 inches. Both prefer old growth forest, so they compete for nesting sites and where their ranges overlap, they may hybridize, but science indicates there are very few such happenings.

As you read in the Observer two weeks ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has it in for the barred owl, which they say will cause the spotted owl to become extinct due to its competitive nature. They go so far as to say that barred owls are categorized as an “alien species” because they migrated westward from the Eastern U.S. and were not detected in the Northwest until 1959. (Chinook Observer, Nov. 22, 2023, PP. A1 and A8).

I would argue that is a natural range expansion by the barred owl. Other species like grizzly bears are moving into the habitat of polar bears in northern Canada since the early 2000s (Lynch, correspondence: Nov. 27, 2023). Dr. Lynch knows about owls. He wrote the book, “Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behaviour,” 2007, The John Hopkins University Press. The definition of alien as per any dictionary is not a fitting description of the barred owl’s behavior. It is indeed just expanding its range. A true alien species is one that is introduced into an area usually by humans and often accidentally, such as the “brown snakes on Guam” or purposely such as the “Himalayan snowcocks in Nevada” (Lynch, Ibid.2023). These exotic game birds were introduced from their native Asia in the 1960s by wildlife officials to enhance hunting opportunities for game hunters.

The spotted owl has run into trouble due the logging of much of our old growth forests. The resulting conundrum was caused by humans. It is true that that the barred owl may out-compete the spotted owl. So, the latter may disappear is some areas, but is it worth the money and time it will take to eradicate the barred owl? Is it kind? Is it in the best interest of our environment? I don’t think so. I agree with the woman who said, “Leave both species alone and let them work it out” (Observer, Nov. 22, P. A8).