US authorities plan to exterminate one species of owl to save another (4 photos + 1 video)
They have a strange approach to preserving wildlife. 
To save the endangered spotted owl, U.S. wildlife officials have approved a plan to send trained marksmen into the dense forests of the West Coast to kill the nearly half a million spotted owls that are crowding out their cousins.
In 2020, northern spotted owls received endangered species status. 30 years ago, spotted owls were brought from the East Coast to their habitat in the states of Oregon, Washington and California. Smaller spotted owls were unable to compete with the invaders, who have larger broods and require less space to survive than spotted owls, and began to die out. 
Spotted owl
“Without active management of the spotted owl population, northern spotted owls will likely become extinct from all or most of their range, despite decades of concerted conservation efforts,” said Kessina Lee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ranger in Oregon. .
The idea of killing one species of bird to save another has divided wildlife conservationists and environmentalists. This is reminiscent of past efforts by the U.S. government to save West Coast salmon by killing sea lions and cormorants that prey on the fish, and to preserve warblers by killing cowbirds that lay eggs in warbler nests.
Some proponents have reluctantly adopted the strategy of eradicating the barred owl; others said it was a reckless distraction from the necessary task of preserving forests.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service is going from being a protector of wildlife to being a persecutor of it,” said Wayne Pacelle, founder of the advocacy group Animal Wellness Action. He predicted the program would fail because the agency could not keep more spotted owls from migrating into areas where others had been killed.
Shooting will likely begin next spring, officials said. The owls will be lured using megaphones broadcasting recorded owl calls and then shot with shotguns. The carcasses will be buried on site.
Public hunting of barred owls will not be permitted. The Wildlife Service will designate government agencies, landowners, American Indian tribes or companies to carry out the killings. Shooters will be required to provide documentation of training or experience in owl identification and firearms handling skills.
The spotted owl (lat. Strix varia) is a North American species of owl. Lives in forests. Makes a characteristic “call” that sounds like “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-o”.
Opponents argue that the mass killing of spotted owls would severely disrupt forest ecosystems and could lead to other species — including spotted owls — being mistakenly shot.
