How Farmers Can Help Wild Owls
Farmers often have barns, so it’s more than likely you have wild owls residing somewhere on your farm. As these bird are now endangered due to lack of habitats, there are quite a few things you can do to help!
Also read how to stop birds nesting in chimneys and road safety tips).
Owls (like all creatures) need water, but deep troughs can be deadly for young or tired birds. Barn Owl Trust has tips to keep owls safe from open troughs and containers with over 120mm of water, and teaches how to make a float that lasts years (wood won’t work, as it sinks when waterlogged).
- Read how to manage land for barn owls (Barn Owl Trust).
- This wildlife trough includes a valve to prevent freezing (and lets small creatures escape).
- Two ideas are stock troughs (don’t get waterlogged) and FrogLog (a weighted inflating platform from a wildlife biologist, for small creatures to escape from pools).
- Stone Edges and Safe Borders: Line with stones, bricks, or rough edges so owls can grip and escape if they fall in.
- Rain Barrels with Ramps: Collecting rainwater? Fit a floating plank or a sturdy ramp inside the barrel, so creatures can escape.
- Regular Checks: Every week, walk round troughs and ponds (with sloping sides) to check ramps are in place, and nothing is blocked/broken.
- Create a shallow wildlife pond with sloping sides so owls and hedgehogs can drink and bathe safely. Set up old washing-up bowls at ground level, half-buried for stability.
Barn owls are protected by law from disturbance during nesting (from when the egg is laid until the last dependent stops returning to the nest). Penalties include fines up to £5000 or 6 months imprisonment.
Deter Rats Naturally
- Owls eat rats, so avoid rat poison. Deter rodents by not leaving out food (nor composting animal foods). Be tolerant of natural predators like owls (and foxes).
- These are better solutions than terriers (dogs may ingest rat poison or get intestinal worms/toxoplasmosis).
- Live rat traps often cause long deaths (and leave babies behind).
- RatMesh (is a stainless steel version of an invention to deter mice. Do not cover air vents or gas appliances (this can block with dust, leaves or dirt, and cause co2 poisoning).
- Gardener Ellen Christine says try planting mint, lavender or rosemary (avoid toxic plants near pets). She says organic mulches (wood chip or straw) may encourage rodents, as hiding places.
Installing Owl Boxes
These are good, but know what you’re doing. Owls don’t build nests like other birds, and owls also sit on pellets (not straw), so nest boxes could become waterlogged.
- Barn Owl Trust has advice on how to choose, build, buy and site owl boxes, whether you do this indoors (like a barn) or on a tree. It says the nest box is only as good as the land surrounding it.
- These barn owl nestboxes are designed with Barn Owl Trust, to stop owlets falling out, and protect from bad weather.
- Safe cleaning is important to stop pellets building up, or owlets could climb out too early.
Only clean nest boxes after the breeding season. Remove debris and potential parasites (wear gloves). And use boiling water only to clean, then air-dry.
You can’t disturb owls or owlets, unless a licensed wildlife worker.
It sometimes takes a year or two for owls to move in, but patience pays off. If you work with neighbours or your local school, several boxes across your area can really boost local numbers.
How to Help Orphaned or Injured Owls
- Barn Owl Trust has info. Monitor closely first, as parents are usually nearby. The site shows how to pick up a live owl, and check for injuries.
- Barn owls on the ground need help, so call local wildlife rescue, Raptor Rescue or Suffolk Owl Sanctuary’s emergency helpline.
- The Owls Trust also advice if you find baby owls (not always orphaned, just testing their wings). If tawny owls are okay but no parents are nearby, place safely in a high tree branch). Place ‘little owls’ back in nests, or near where you found them, if safe.
- Wear gloves to place in ventilated boxes (avoid towels with tassels).
- Grasp gently (feet are more likely to get you than beaks!)
- Keep in a quiet area at room temperature, until help arrives.
Don’t Keep Owls as Pets
Barn Owl Trust does not agree with keeping owls as pets. They are wild birds (and unlike dogs, have no loyalty). They may see you as a potential mate, can be aggressive and will happily leave you to the next person providing food, no matter how much you love her or him!
This is why falconry owls can get tangled in ‘leather strips’, when they try to fly off.
Protect Pets from Birds of Prey
If you have pets on or near your farm, attacks from larger birds of prey are more likely in North America, due to different species. But keep dogs and rabbits safe, as wild birds are losing natural hunting habitats.
Keep dogs indoors at night (supervise while outside at night, as birds are less likely to attack if humans are nearby). Supervise small animals like rabbits/guinea pigs when outside, and keep them inside at night (hutches for rabbits and guinea pigs should be large but secure).
If you see a bird of prey circling or attacking a domestic pet, approach while yelling and making loud noises (if attacked, immediately visit the vet, as wounds could become infected).
Learn more on how to make your garden safe for pets. It’s better to encourage birds of prey to stay in the wild, to keep pets safe (birds of prey need open farmland over domestic gardens).
More About England’s Wild Owls
Owls are mysterious birds with eyes that face forward, and can turn their heads 270 degrees to hunt prey. Owls have three eyelids (one to blink, one to sleep and one to wash the eye). Most have one wing higher, so they can fly silently (the feathers breaking turbulence into smaller sound currents).
In order to eat around 4 voles, shrews, rabbits and rats each night. Owls catch prey with their sharp talons (their toes face different directions for better hunting).
And if anyone knows anything about anything – it’s Owl who knows something about something. Owl is the grand and rather clever old man of the forest. He can also spell Tuesday. A A Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)
England’s countryside is home to five main wild owl species:
- Barn Owl: These pale, heart-faced owls glide over grass fields at dusk and rely on rough grassland, wild roadside verges, and open fields for hunting voles and mice. Barn owls nest in old barns, tree hollows or nest boxes. They have a screech that ornithologist Matt Sewell says can strip your fingernails!
- Tawny Owl: They have round faces and deep ‘twit-twoo’ calls, and love old woodlands, parks and even large gardens. They need tree cavities for nesting and hunt at night for small mammals and birds. Pairs often stay together for life and defend their patch fiercely.
- Little Owl: These live on farm fields, hedgerows and orchards and often use holes in trees, old barns, or stone walls for roosting and breeding. They eat insects, worms, and sometimes small birds. Their call is like a dog barking!
- Long-eared Owl: These have tall ear tufts and roose in dense hedges and thick woodland, hunting at dusk over farm land. They gather in small groups in winter and call ‘hoo hoo hoo!’
- Short-eared owls are also mottled brown. They call ‘boo boo boo!’
