Owls are natural predators but due to lack of habitat and modern life, they are at risk from all kinds of hazards. The Barn Owl Trust has an extensive guide on hazards and solutions, but in summary:
- Keep small dogs and prey animals (rabbits etc) safely away.
- Avoid rat poison (owls eat rats and rabbits).
- Barn owls have lost lots of natural habitat, so install nest boxes (do this the right way, very important) and also try to avoid nearby ground-mounted solar panels, wind turbines and water troughs (install floats to prevent drowning).
- Drive safely (the charity is particularly concerned about the upcoming HS2 high-speed train).
- The charity works to educate town planners on hazards like electrical wires and best practice for owl-friendly solutions. You can support it by sending them your unused postage stamps, mobile phones, cameras, coins, badges, jewellery, watches and computer games, which can all be sold to raise funds for their wonderful work.
biography of the owl
Owl: A Biography is one of a series of super books by Stephen Moss, one of England’s best nature writers (he even teaches others how to write about nature at Bath University). With beautiful illustrations and bird-watching tips (never mimic sounds, it can confuse birds), this eye-opening book reveals secrets of one of the most mysterious birds in the world.
The hauntingly beautiful calls (and mostly nocturnal habitats) have long captured our imaginations. There are seven species of owls in the British Isles (tawny, little, barn, long-eared, short-eared, snowy and eagle) and more worldwide. Owls have lived alongside people for thousands of years, yet still we know little about their daily lives. In this book, learn about how they hatch, hunt prey and raise owlets.
