A Barn Owl breeding season in five minutes

Watch a Barn Owl breeding season unfold in five minutes. From an intimate view inside the nest box, you can follow the laying, incubation, hatching and then watch as the tiny pink chicks grow to fully fledged owlets, and take their first flights from the nest box. This nest box and the internal nest camera (under licence) were installed by Nathy Gilligan in Mayo. The nest box is located on the back wall of Nathy's garage facing out onto open farmland. The nest box was empty for eight years, but was eventually taken up by Barn Owls for the first time in 2020. In 2021, with the nest camera carefully positioned inside the nest box, and a second exterior nest camera we were able to watch all stages of the breeding season up to the point that four healthy chicks fledged in July.
This video was produced by John Lusby, BirdWatch Ireland and Ruth Hanniffy Photography, with the permission and access to footage provided by Nathy Gilligan, in partnership with the Heritage Office of Mayo County Council, as part of the Barn Owl survey and conservation initiatives in County Mayo which is supported through the National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Thanks to Deirdre Cunningham, Heritage Officer, Mayo County Council for supporting the Barn Owl conservation initiatives in Mayo.
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[@Glasgowurbanwildlife]

Fantastic video! very well done

[@nancyharman4795]

So cute when a single fly inside the nest captured the owlets' attention! Wonderful documentary! Thank you! 😺💕🐾

[@tsaffran]

great video, Owls exercise their wings to build
up chest muscles but you already know this

[@tsaffran]

I would like too raise some Owls to get rid of the rats
in my city but they would have to be some big Owls

[@gwenloughman3775]

Gorgeous footage. Particularly the frames where all four of the chicks were lined up against the side of the nest box like soldiers! And when they were out on the ledge, you could see another owl flying past in the background. Eight years is a long time waiting for new tenants to move in. Proof that good things come to those who wait. These short videos are so educational!

[@minttuxxx9109]

Lovely