Despite Protections, Spotted Owl Still at Risk

The barred owl, left, and the Northern Spotted Owl, right. National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service hide caption

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National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Even after years of protection as an endangered species, the Northern Spotted Owl is still at risk of extinction. Logging companies and some government biologists say the Barred Owl -- an aggressive interloper from the East Coast -- is pushing the meeker spotted owls out of their nesting areas. Others say the timber industry is trying to make the Barred Owl the scapegoat for the industry's weak habitat-protection efforts.