>I do remember seeing some notes on owls that were apparently
>barredXspotted owl crosses. Can anyone update me or expand on what
>poeple know about this particular hybrid example?

My information is about two and a half years out of date, so
others may have more recent info, but:

At that time (three Febs ago) there were five confirmed "sparred"
owl pairs which had produced hybrids.

These were pairs uncovered during spotted owl surveys run by
the USFS and later confirmed by owl specialists.

One of these pairs consisted of a first-generation hybrid paired
with either a spotted or barred owl, but I forget which. I do
remember that this pair had fledged a chick, therefore demonstrating
that the hybrid was able to produce young.

They look, well, like a hybrid, darker than a barred but maintaining
the barred throat/chest pattern. Their calls are distinctive, too,
and I know the survey training tape currently used by the BLM
has at least one sample on it.

Habitat was "edgy", as the barreds are moving into younger
stands which grow in clearcuts and then get introduced to
those ever-so-attractive spotted owls living in adjacent
old growth.

I do know that other "sparreds" have been found since then, but
don't know just how many. I imagine "many" would be an appropriate
adjective.

Regarding barreds in general, I am curious about the history
of their distribution in the NW. Back in about 1988, a "hooter"
friend who also bands hawks in Nevada with me told me that
a lot of barreds were being found in Multnomah Basin, a
several-mile long flat spot in the Columbia Gorge above the
falls but below the top (Oregon). One area in particular had
suffered severe blowdown and had been closed while salvage
(of course) logging (by helicopter) took place. This area had
always been boggy and had a lot of maple, etc but the blowdown had
taken out quite a bit of old-growth outside this decidous
thicket, opening it up. The hooter had uncovered a barred owl
pair with chicks there. Some friends went to check it out (I got
the flu, unfortunately) and also found them and reported it to
the rare-bird committee.

At the time, it was only the second accepted record of nesting
barred owls in the state. Not much later, another friend
and I found record #3 down by Klamath Falls, in an area known
for great greys. The previous year, I saw a barred in the
Blue Mountains at another area known for great greys (saw that,
too, and a flam, all within a 200 ft radius, ah, one of those
SUCCESSFUL trip leader experiences!) and I knew of few birders
who'd ever seen one in Oregon. Obviously, a barred owl sitting
on a tree implies a previous, unknown succesful nesting record
somewhere so birders just weren't looking for them, I think.

To some degree I think their population must truly be
rising quickly. But I imagine there have always been many
more here than folks knew.

Now BLM and USFS survey crews find them all over. A year
ago, I heard one calling from the ridge separating Cummins
Creek from the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. Now, a barred
owl sighting won't even get you a mention on the PAS RBA!

Unless it's parked its butt in a tree outside the downtown
branch of the library as one did in Portland last year!

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>