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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Barn Owls (1 Viewer)

P

Pete666

smart alec van driver
Hi all
We all know how the UK motorway network has provided habitat and food for the Kestrel and I wonder how much this has affected the Barn Owl? I've been working nights now for around 8 months and in those 8 months I've seen more Barn Owls (around 12) than I've ever seen before,all of which have been either on the verges of or flying over the M4 (I've had to duck on a couple of occasions as they fly across very low) culminating in a brief sighting at 0335 today of an owl hovering in full street light not 6' off the ground and not 10 yards from the road(I just wish i could have stopped to watch).Also I would assume that these hunting birds are working by sight because motorways even in the small hours are not the quietest of places and I should Imagine that 44 tonnes of artic going by @ 56mph is deafening to the birds.Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
All the best
Pete :smoke:
 
Hi Pete and welcome to the Forums from all Moderators and Admin. staff.
I'm sure you'll get plenty of answers from more knowledgable people than me, but it's certainly an interesting thought.
Chris
 
Hi Pete, and welcome to the forum. the barn owl`s
eye sight is just as sensetive as its hearing, so the noise of thundering traffic will have little effect on its hunting skills. The secret of any of the owls good eyesight in the dark lies in the size
and construction of the eyes. thats the short
version anyway.
regards bert.
 
I seem to remember reading somewhere that there are around 3000 barn owl road casualties annually? That's a huge figure if the population is only something like 5000 pairs. Has anybody got any reliable up to date figures?

Woody
 
Hi Pete,
You are one lucky guy, here in Durham Barn Owls live down disused mine shafts.
It does seem strange to me that they are so close to noisy traffic. Has the surrounding habitat changed in anyway forcing the birds to feed on verges.
 
A barn owl on the Scillies this year (quite rare) was hit (and killed :eek:( ) by one of the few cars they have on St Martins.
 
Hello Pete et al

Here in Co D'ham the population is showing a recovery (mild winters, lack of snow cover, set-a-side, nest box schemes, etc) all helping.
Its often believed that Barn Owls are absent from areas with MWays & Main Trunk Roads, but this obviously isn't necessarily allways the case.
I know nest sites within 1 mile or so of both these types of roads.

What i think is, as these birds continue to re-populate areas, then we're more & more likely to see them close to our main road routes.

Theres a train of thought which thinks that the masses of suitable habitat along our major roads could be used as a way for local & isolated Barn Owl populations to link up along these linear routes, by providing boxes for them along the way. (& if they dont use them, then the Kestrels surely will!)......there will obviously be casualties, but it could just work....?

Regards Stevie
 
I'ver once seen a barn owl hunting over the grassy verges of the M6 (Warwickshire) in motorway during the night.

During the middle of the night say 3am some motorways are almost empty and traffic becomes a minor problem to any wildlife hunting in the area.

I've also heard of deer succesfully crossing motorways at the dead of night.
 
Hi Pete,
I think Barn owls are attracted to motorway verges because of the amount of food for them there.
Often the surrounding fields are sprayed with chemicals making the verges a haven for all the little things that Barn Owls eat.
Enjoy your sightings!
 
Woody said:
I seem to remember reading somewhere that there are around 3000 barn owl road casualties annually? That's a huge figure if the population is only something like 5000 pairs. Has anybody got any reliable up to date figures?

Woody
Click to expand...
Hi Woody,
The latest statistics seem to show that over 5,000 barn Owls are killed on our roads each year and the findings show that these birds were healthy and the road kill was not down to old or sick birds.
I have heard that the estimated number of Barn Owl pairs in the UK is below 4,000 pairs and I strongly believe that the Governments decision to stop the licenced breed and release schemes of Barn Owls is wrong and will in time prove to have an adverse effect.
Although the breed and release schemes did not increase the wild numbers it sustained the numbers killed by road traffic.
New road development plans are now being asked to make provision for Barn Owls by planting trees and substantial hedges near to the verge to try and deter the birds from crossing the roads.
I am still consulting with DEFRA to re-introduce the schemes in suitably sustainable habitat but I fear development is just leaving isolated pockets and corridoors that will adversely affect the numbers.
When the scheme was stopped many unwanted captive birds and young were destroyed but we did manage to rehome many rung birds.
It is good to know people are concerned by the decline of so many species and the barn owl and kestrel I have bred since the early sixties.
We have two established pairs near to us and I have just taken on another 8 acres so hopefully at least these birds will have a secure future.
Best Wishes
Suricate
 
"We have two established pairs near to us and I have just taken on another 8 acres so hopefully at least these birds will have a secure future."
Suricate, thats great news and i hope you do your best to help them (as you probably will).
 
Hi Suricate,
Thanks for the figures, even if they are a little depressing.

I was unaware that the barn owl breed and release schemes had been stopped entirely, although I knew that they had been heavily regulated, (justifiably). I would agree with you that it is a mistake, if only a small percentage of released brds survive long enough to breed that has to help wild populations in some way assuming of course that the release habitat is suitable and not already territory held by successful wild pairs.

Barn owls breed easily and readily in captivity and I dread to think what is happening to the 'surplus' of youngsters still being born each season. Rehoming of these birds needs to be done in such a way that the breeder does not allow the youngsters to go to unprepared owners with unsuitable circumstances.

Good luck with the wild pairs.

Woody
 
seb_seb said:
"We have two established pairs near to us and I have just taken on another 8 acres so hopefully at least these birds will have a secure future."
Suricate, thats great news and i hope you do your best to help them (as you probably will).
Click to expand...
Thanks for that
Suricate
 
Woody said:
Hi Suricate,
Thanks for the figures, even if they are a little depressing.

I was unaware that the barn owl breed and release schemes had been stopped entirely, although I knew that they had been heavily regulated, (justifiably). I would agree with you that it is a mistake, if only a small percentage of released brds survive long enough to breed that has to help wild populations in some way assuming of course that the release habitat is suitable and not already territory held by successful wild pairs.

Barn owls breed easily and readily in captivity and I dread to think what is happening to the 'surplus' of youngsters still being born each season. Rehoming of these birds needs to be done in such a way that the breeder does not allow the youngsters to go to unprepared owners with unsuitable circumstances.

Good luck with the wild pairs.

Woody
Click to expand...
Hi Woody,
There are still captive Barn Owls being bred and you are right they do breed so easilly and all year round.
These poor birds are often crammed into aviaries as nobody wants them, they have no rings or paper work ( Article 10 ) yet they are still sold.
I write in vain to DEFRA to introduce some regulations to restict the keeping of Barn Owls.
I spend a great deal of time trying to rehome unwanted barn Owls but in many cases the birds are better off being put to sleep, because they have little to no quality of life.
DEFRA have stopped all release of barn owls and except wild injured ( but so many times the birds have injuies that will not let them survive back in the wild )
Birds need to be 100%.
It can take between 2 and 7 years to successfully establish habitat to release a pair of barn Owls, so you have to be dedicated.
I had my first pair in 1960 and Im still hoping that some of the generations are still surving
Suricate
 
Suricate

Just wondering how impotant a roll the world owl trust plays in the Barn owl release( or non release). I am not familiar with what clout they have but i found it strange that DEFRA did not ask their opinion when they chose the non release scheme.
 
Sleeper said:
Suricate

Just wondering how impotant a roll the world owl trust plays in the Barn owl release( or non release). I am not familiar with what clout they have but i found it strange that DEFRA did not ask their opinion when they chose the non release scheme.
Click to expand...
Sorry if you were waiting for a quick response but have been out chasin` big Owls.
When DEFRA sent out the consultation paper it did go out to the World Owl Trust A. Warburton and J. Thurston. There was a two option choice and the WOT supported scheme 1 to discontinue ALL schemes, but later revised by saying correctly run schemes should enhance habitat and increase the ability for Barn Owls to recolonise. The consultation also was sent to the RSPB, RSPCA,Global Wildlife Division the IOA and a few others.
Suricate
 
That is dissapointing as I have spoken to the head keeper of WOT and he stated that they had not been asked. Wolf, as he is named, was quite strongly upset about this and quoted that they were more interested in what english nature had to say.

This information he was giving out was to a large group who agreed that it seemed outrageous that they had not been given a voice. But it is something that will be mentioned when I next speak to Wolf as this, if the case, is bad information.
 
Sleeper said:
That is dissapointing as I have spoken to the head keeper of WOT and he stated that they had not been asked. Wolf, as he is named, was quite strongly upset about this and quoted that they were more interested in what english nature had to say.

This information he was giving out was to a large group who agreed that it seemed outrageous that they had not been given a voice. But it is something that will be mentioned when I next speak to Wolf as this, if the case, is bad information.
Click to expand...
The response by English Nature is as follows:
English Nature Option 1 = Discontinue the Shceme * No population increase or conservation benefit.
The above is taken from DETR feedback, this is before it became DEFRA.
Perhaps you have an opinion ?. I know from different accounts that many Barn Owls had already been bred for release just before the decision was made to stop the Scheme and many barn owls were killed due to this.
Suricate
 
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