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A barred owl that has become notorious for swiping runners' caps and sometimes clawing scalps at a Salem, Ore. public park, has inspired the installation of at least 10 bright yellow owl warning signs.

The infamous barred owl known for swooping down on runners and other visitors at Bush's Pasture Park in the Oregon state capitol prompted the erection of several signs in strategic locations by park workers last week.

The raptor apparently prefers to strike in the early morning hours and has a special attraction for collecting trophies — in the form of its victims' hats.

Local surgeon Ron Jaecks, the owl's first reported target, was running through the park at 5:15 a.m. last month when he suddenly attacked from above. He said someone - or something - grabbed his stocking cap and scratched his head.

"It was like a huge electric shock ran through my body, but also like I got hit in the head with a two-by-four all at the same time," Jaecks told the Statesman Journal newspaper. "Or maybe a strike of lightning."

Another victim, Brad Hilliard, was jogging on a track in the same park at 5:45 on another morning when his favorite running hat was snatched from his head. Fortunately, he escaped with only scratch on the back of his neck.

Mark Becktel, parks and transportation services manager, said the city secured rights to reproduce the sign sporting a unique "attack owl" image and may install as many as 20.

"It's just making people aware that there's an owl there that for whatever reason swoops down and goes after people's hats," he said.

Predictably, the local media is capitalizing on the rebellious raptor, with news stories and commentary galore. The local newspaper ran a contest to name the new local feathered celebrity.

The winning entry in Statesman Journal's Name the Owl Contest was "Owl Capone," though "Rachel Madowl" and "Owl Pachino," also proved popular among participants. Our particular favorite (which also really dates us) was Thurston Owl III.

While some have suggested the owl is simply being protective of its territory as mating and nesting season begins, here at The Birding Wire, we can't help being more speculative.

After all, like many of our faithful readers, we've been following the story about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its ongoing four-year experimental "removal" of up to around 3,600 barred owls from the Pacific Northwest because of the species' encroachment on habitat preferred by the federally threatened northern spotted owl.

"We can't ignore the mounting evidence that competition from barred owls is a major factor in the northern spotted owl's decline, along with habitat loss," FWS Director Dan Ashe, announced in Sept. 2013 when the directive was officially finalized. "We are working with our partners to improve forest health and support sustainable economic opportunities for local communities, and this experimental removal will help us determine whether managing the barred owl population also helps recover the northern spotted owl."

In Oregon, the species is being targeted by the feds in half the combined Coast Ranges and Veneta in the north, the Union/Myrtle (Klamath) in the south.

But as far as we can tell, in Salem barred owls still pretty much rule the roost.

And we'd be willing to wager that anyone who dares take an early-morning jog at Bush's Pasture Park wearing a cap identifying them as being connected with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will receive more than swiped headgear and a little scratch on the neck.

Retribution, maybe?

- J.R. Absher, Editor


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