When Do Barn Owls Nest
Barn owls at this nest site have laid an average clutch size of 4 93 eggs and fledged an average of 2 69 owls in 16 total nesting attempts with an overall success rate of 69 meaning that at least one owl fledged from the nest.
When do barn owls nest. Barn owls put their nests in holes in trees cliff ledges and crevices caves burrows in river banks and in many kinds of human structures including barn lofts church steeples houses nest boxes haystacks and even drive in movie screens. A barn owl begins life of course as an egg in a nest but not just any nest. The type of nest you see will depend on the type of owl you re dealing with. However they do best and are safest from predators in a well chosen barn owl box that provides warmth and shelter from the elements.
Since the decline in this bird s natural habitat farmers have begun using birdhouses placed on poles or the side of barns and other outbuildings to attract more of these beneficial birds. Concentrated poisons in the rodents can be harmful to owls and barn owls will not nest if there is insufficient food place a barn owl nest box at least 15 20 feet high but be sure the opening is shaded from the sun and wind. Barn owls do not build a nest so they need a level or concave surface on which to lay their eggs most often in the bottom of a cavity such as a tree hollow or nestbox or on a wide ledge such as a flat wall top or the upper floor in a church tower. The female might also make a scrape in the debris and break up a few recent pellets creating a soft layer for egg laying.
The barn owl tyto alba is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds. A family including chicks in one nest box can devour 8 000 mice in one year. It is also known as the common barn owl to distinguish it from the other species in its family tytonidae which forms one of the two main lineages of living owls the other being the typical owls strigidae. Barn owls do not build a nest as such but lay their eggs directly onto the previous years nest debris a compacted layer of owl pellets.
Barn owls want homes that are cozy warm and safe. Again this is usually elevated and hidden. Barn owls and the law wild barn owls are given the highest level of legal protection possible under the 1981 wildlife and countryside act. To encourage barn owls to nest in appropriate areas avoid using chemicals to kill rodent populations.
So how to get owls to take up residence on your property. Read on for construction plans for both indoor and outdoor nextboxes or if you re short on time you can purchase a ready made barn owl nest box from the shop.