Creating Good Barn Owl Habitat
To encourage barn owls to an area it is important that the right kind of habitat is in place to support them and provide them with enough food to rear a family. Barn owls prey on small mammals such as field voles, shrews and wood mice which form a large part of their diet.
The presence of field voles can be seen in rough grassland areas with runs and tunnels through the habitat so providing good foraging for barn owls.
Evidence of field vole activity (Photo by Helen Cottam)
The presence of field voles can be seen in rough grassland areas with runs and tunnels through the habitat so providing good foraging for barn owls.
Evidence of field vole activity (Photo by Helen Cottam)
Traditional farming methods such as hay meadows and wet pasture provide ideal small mammal habitats encouraging foraging barn owls. In Staffordshire, the moorlands is an area of less intensive agriculture, of rough grassland and hay meadows it provides a stronghold for barn owls in the county.
Staffordshire Moorlands, barn owl stronghold (Photo by Helen Cottam)
Staffordshire Moorlands, barn owl stronghold (Photo by Helen Cottam)
Other areas of less intensive agriculture such as field margins, edges along ditches, river banks and young tree plantations, where the grass is not cut or grazed regularly, also provides good barn owl foraging habitat.
A barn owl hunting over a young tree plantation (Photo by Helen Cottam)
A barn owl hunting over a young tree plantation (Photo by Helen Cottam)
Barn owls do not travel far to find prey when rearing their young using old, hollow trees, farm buildings and barns as nest and roost sites. In recent years old farm buildings have been knocked down, barns converted into dwellings and with old trees being felled this has resulted in a loss of nest and roost sites for the barn owl.
The provision of barn owl nest boxes into less intensively farmed and grassland areas
provides an alternative nest site allowing conservationists to monitor barn owl populations and measure breeding success rates. For landowners and farmers keen to encourage barn owls, nest boxes installed in mature trees or farm buildings can be a successful means of attracting barn owls as long as the right habitat to support and feed them, is present.
Old, hollow trees and barns provide good opportunities for barn owls (Photos by Helen Cottam)
The provision of barn owl nest boxes into less intensively farmed and grassland areas
provides an alternative nest site allowing conservationists to monitor barn owl populations and measure breeding success rates. For landowners and farmers keen to encourage barn owls, nest boxes installed in mature trees or farm buildings can be a successful means of attracting barn owls as long as the right habitat to support and feed them, is present.
Old, hollow trees and barns provide good opportunities for barn owls (Photos by Helen Cottam)