Adding a bit more to the thread on WESO, it is somewhat disturbing that this
species is not listed on Washington Audubon's Watch List, even though about
1/3 of our state species (93) are. I am not sure what it takes to make the
cut for this list, but it seems reasonable to me that when several of the
state's best birders note a decline, and our neighbors to the north in
British Columbia comment on the decline since the Barred Owl invasion,
perhaps we should take notice.



Barred Owls have only been in this state for 50 years; less than a blink of
an eye in evolutionary terms. Screech-owls are not going to adapt to this
new threat overnight, no more than the Spotted owls will. If ever there was
an "Early Warning Bird" as Audubon categorizes many species, the Western
Screech-owl has been telling us for some time that the system is in flux.



The Audubon website listing the "Vulnerable Birds":
http://wa.audubon.org/new/audubon/userdocuments/State_of_the_Birds_LR.pdf



Jamie Acker

Bainbridge Island

Owler at sounddsl.com