How to Create and Manage Barn Owl Foraging Habitat UK

How to create and manage the best foraging habitat for Barn Owls in the UK. Barn Owls need rough tussocky grassland - with a litter layer and lots of voles!
UK ONLY: in other countries other habitats are equally or more important.
Read more: www.barnowltru...
'Conserving the Barn Owl and its Environment'
www.barnowltru...
© Copyright 2024 Barn Owl Trust
Charity No. 1201419

[@tomashogberg8514]

Excellent video! I wondering how they like meadows (wildflower meadows/wooded meadows) as well as wetlands or wetland grazing areas? All the best wishes to the trust, and the barn owl of course, from a Swedish conservationist. Cheers!

[@BarnOwlTrust1]

Thanks Tomas!
In the UK, rough grassland is better than meadows for Barn Owls because it provides a lot more cover for Field Voles (there’s no litter-layer in a hay meadow). In mainland Europe and many other parts of the world, rough grassland is not so important due to the presence of Common Voles and other species that get the cover they need by burrowing underground (Field Voles generally don’t do this). Barn Owls always prefer open land rather than woods - wetland is often fine as long as it has plenty of prey species. More here: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/how-to-manage-land-for-barn-owls/

[@tomashogberg8514]

@@BarnOwlTrust1 Thanks for the swift reply! Yeah okay that makes a lot of sense, best of luck once again with your conservation efforts :)

[@BarnOwlTrust1]

Thank you!

[@oliverwilkinson5773]

Bugger i fought i had the perfect bit of land but the grass isn't quite right

[@BarnOwlTrust1]

Try topping the grass to a height of no less than 13cm every other year - should soon be perfect!
More details here: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/how-to-manage-land-for-barn-owls/

[@andreawhisenant2718]

Great video. I have both areas. One for cattle and around the house that we cut once a year in August with a blade mower you call a topper. We’ve lived here two years. I’m hoping it will bring in some owls because we have an over abundance of voles, gophers? And nice.

[@BarnOwlTrust1]

Sounds great -good luck!