Wildlife photographer Toshan Wijeratne, who recently moved to Corvallis from Sri Lanka, was heading out to find a great horned owl family in Benton County when he spotted a flash of white in the woods. Following the frantic alarm calls of smaller birds, he eventually found not one—but two barred owls perched together in the trees. 📸🦉 Barred owls, native to the eastern U.S., showed up in Oregon more than 50 years ago and have since become permanent (and controversial) residents. They’re known to outcompete the native spotted owl, adding to its decline along the West Coast. Click the link in our bio to learn more about Oregon's owls, see more photos and even hear their calls. --Photo courtesy of toshan_wijeratne --Reporting by Mark_W_Graves #BarredOwl #OregonWildlife #BirdsofInstagram #WildlifePhotography #Corvallis #Owls #PacificNorthwest #PNWnature #Conservation #SpottedOwl #InvasiveSpecies #OregonBirds