I remember a class with Rocky Gutierrez (yes, another misspelling by
the Sacramento Bee) where he told us that there was some belief that
Barred Owls and Spotted Owls may actually be the same species and
were just not separated long enough to finalize the evolution into
two distinct species, much like Northern Flickers. Has anyone heard
of further research in this area that either confirms or denies this
belief?
jw
Jane Westervelt
Moscow, ID