The Barn Owl

The barn owl can be identified by its distinctive white heart shaped face and white underparts. Its upper wings, back and tail are a pale golden buff, flecked with black, white and grey. Their characteristic call is a long eerie shriek.

Favoured hunting habitat is rough grassland which supports small mammals such as field voles that make up 90% of the owls diet. Barn owls nest in holes in mature trees, barns and out buildings. Breeding has been known to take place in most months of the year. If food is plentiful, two broods may be raised each year.

The Decline

The barn owl has declined by 50% in the UK in the past 50 years. This decline can be attributed to a combination of the following factors:

• Loss of feeding habitat.
• Loss of nesting sites.
• Poisons used in the control of rats and mice.
• Drowning.
• Road traffic accidents.