May’s program night with Dr. David Wiens was fascinating. Dr. Wiens is an avian ecologist and Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist with the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon. He discussed how invasive barred owls have become a widespread and common avian predator in woodlands throughout much of the Pacific Northwest. Check out his presentation below!
Within the past 50 years, barred owl populations expanded, they have displaced northern spotted owls from their protected old-forest habitats and complicated long-term forest management plans. The presentation addresses the history, ecology, and conservation dilemma triggered by this remarkable invasion, with a focus on recent efforts to reduce the negative impacts of barred owls on spotted owls and associated native wildlife.
Dr. David Wiens has conducted research on the conservation and management of birds of prey for over 30 years. He received his PhD in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University in 2012, where he studied competition and resource partitioning between spotted owls and barred owls. David is also the lead scientist of a large-scale field experiment on the ecological impacts of barred owls on spotted owls and associated native wildlife in Washington, Oregon, and California.