Feds Want Migratory Bird Treaty Exemption to Call in and Eradicate American Owls

A federal agency is seeking an exemption to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to lure and eradicate owl populations.

The proposed strategy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is part of an effort to reverse the decline of northern and California spotted owls. These threatened birds’ West Coast habitat, stretching from California to Washington state, is currently being invaded by a feathered cousin — the North American barred owl.

The barred owl is common in the eastern half of the United States and southeastern Canada...