In the UK, volunteers place boxes in tree branches to provide shelter for barn owls. Thanks to them, 12.000 pairs nest today
Barn owls are one of the most loved and recognizable birds in the countryside. They are found all over the world, but are experiencing a decline in population. In the UK, for example, the barn owl has steadily declined over the past century due to habitat loss and herbicide poisoning but this trend has been reversed with human help. For once, in fact, we are helping the animals to return to their places, from which they disappeared because of us.
For some years now, some volunteers have been placing boxes in the branches of trees to offer shelter to the barn owls. And it works. By 1987, barn owls were at their lowest level with around 4.500 breeding pairs, down 70% from numbers since 1932. There are now around 12.000 in the UK.
Historically, these distinctive birds with their heart-shaped faces, demonic cry and silent flight, were friends of farmers as they devoured rodents that damaged crops. In ancient times, special "owl windows" were also built in barns to encourage birds to nest between beams and attic spaces. But from the mid-1800s, agriculture intensified and their presence was no longer welcome.
But in 1988 the fate of these birds returns, thanks to the work of Colin Sawyer, who created a conservation network for barn owls with the aim of double the population by 2020. For the first decade his team focused on rebuilding habitats, but by the mid-90s they realized they were the nesting places for barn owls that needed to be demolished or remodeled.
©Kent Wildlife Trust.
So, box after box, many volunteers worked to bring these precious birds back to the countryside.
“My brother built the first boxes 17 years ago as punishment for being suspended from school. Dad built more during a short retirement attempt and we now have eight of these bulky boxes nestled in the oak branches around our Kent farm, ”explains Lynne Flower who told her story to The Guardian.
The nocturnal habits and the shy character make it increasingly difficult to detect barn owls and therefore it is difficult to calculate the size of the population. However, the presence of the boxes can be a great help in monitoring their presence, while also providing a nice safe nesting area for couples to raise their young.
© shutterstock / Vlada Cech
“We started a plan to create nests for barn owls and place them where the habitat was suitable and where they could be seen. We have since put on 28 boxes, many nestings have succeeded and there have been many sightings. We have learned so much, ”they tell on the Kent Wildlife Trust's official blog.
Every county in the UK now has someone in charge of placing boxes for barn owls. This year, perhaps also due to the coronavirus-related lockdown, there has been a real boom. The reduction in traffic noise may have enabled them to hunt more efficiently and there will likely have been fewer birds killed on the road.
“A lot of barn owls are killed on the road because they don't look, listen and look at the ground,” says Lynne.
Through an army of dedicated volunteers, Sawyer's ambitious goals have been met in full - barn owl numbers have nearly tripled. Up to 80% of barn owls now nest in artificial boxes.
“If all those boxes fell, we'd probably see extinction. I don't know of any other species that depend so much on one component of their habitat - a nest - for their survival, and it's all done by people, ”says Sawyer.
For once, with his help, man has managed to ensure the survival of a species.
Sources of reference: The Guardian, Kent Wildlife Trust
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