New nest box scheme: Barn owls 'pay their keep' by eating rodents
A measure to improve Barn Owl conservation, designed by BirdWatch Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is now available to farmers in the new Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). Picture: Larry Cummins
The barn owl is often described as the ‘farmer’s friend’ for the simple reason that it preys on rats and mice which can be a pest in farmyards. It’s only fair then that the farmer should now become the barn owl’s friend.
The species has been declining for several decades and is on the red list of birds which are of serious conservation concern. So, a new, rural environment scheme drawn up by BirdWatch and the Department of Agriculture, under which farmers will receive payments for helping the barn owl, is welcomed.
These lovely owls often die after eating rats which had consumed poisons — hopefully, the scheme will eliminate the need for such poisons (rodenticides) on farms.
The owls traditionally nested in old, stone farm buildings, but have struggled in recent decades with the disappearance of many such buildings and factors such as land reclamation resulting in a loss of their natural habitat.
As barn owls hunt at night, you can sometimes get a fleeting, ghostly glimpse of their white feathers in headlight beams, enhancing their spooky reputation. Unfortunately, some are killed by traffic.
However, owls respond well to conservation measures and their population is increasing in areas like Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary.
The new scheme focuses on improved methods of rodent control that should reduce the use of poisons. It also aims to provide safe nest sites and to improve habitat, with benefits for both the farmer and the owl.
By adopting a new pest management approach, and having a nest box in a suitable location, the farmer will receive €36.48 per unit per year.
The nest boxes did not always work in previous schemes, but clear, simple guidelines and practical videos are now being used in an effort to get the best results. Many nest boxes are now working properly, however, with BirdWatch recording more than 150, and this number rises each year. It is expected that numbers of boxes in suitable areas will grow through the latest measure.
Meanwhile, as John Lusby of BirdWatch emphasises, nest boxes alone do not solve all the problems for barn owls. Habitat must also be restored.
“The main reason that barn owls, and many other farmland birds, have suffered is due to the loss of habitat. Therefore, it stands to reason that measures focused on restoring habitat will deliver the greatest benefits. Providing a nest site for barn owls can help, but this needs to be accompanied by suitable foraging habitats,” he says.
Interestingly, we’re also told that many farmers, who are encouraging barn owls, now no longer need to put out poisons for rodents. Owls control the rodent population for them.
