When the Northern Spotted Owl was protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1990, the primary threat to the species was the loss of old-growth forest. However, new research shows that the Spotted Owl population in Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park has declined sharply in the past two decades despite long-term preservation of habitat within the park. The culprit? The Barred Owl, a competing species that has moved into Spotted Owls’ range from the east.
