© c.1982 Guy Coheleach ...Science Art-Birds

Title: Diurnal Retreat, Barred Owl
Species: Barred Owl (Strix varia )
Artist: Guy Coheleach (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: 40" x 30"
Media: Acrylic on board
Date: c. 1982
Private Collection


The artist notes: ”I always loved Barred Owls because they are so ease to call and see and they are very approachable. Most that I have seen have been in wet areas. If you want to see one, give a "Who who ha hooo, who who ha hooooo-ah." If they are around--especially in the evening or at night--you should get a response. The neat thing is that they will actually fly to the source of the hoot."

June, 2007 was an important time for the relatively timid endangered Northern Spotted Owl in its territorial competition with the Barred Owl, a feisty invader of its range. New recovery plans had been proposed for the former; research had indicated that Northern Spotted Owls might not be as wedded to vast stands of old growth forest as previously thought and the Bush administration was aiming to lift restrictions to permit logging on about a quarter of the bird’s critical habitat. This environmental quandary is complicated because the invading Barred Owls are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and require a permit to kill. To work all this out, biologists are trying to learn more about both species and the threat to the Northern Spotted Owls. In one study, both species have been captured, radio-tagged and tracked to quantify habitat conditions and preferred resources. A final report should be presented in March 2009.