Conserving Owls: Cause and Effect

The conservation of owls is an important part of preserving wildlife but also has many benefits to property owners, ranchers, and farmers.  Barn owls face many natural hazards and have a very high mortality rate. It is common to find numerous juveniles that have died below the roost or nesting location of an owl.  Constructing and mounting a nesting box eliminates one of these factors and helps with the following:

1. Good stewardship.  We are entrusted to be good managers of the planet and all of its inhabitants.  Encouraging a specie's survival is part of that responsibility.

2. Good farming.  Each year, the cost of pesticides and controls increase and add expense to efficient farming practices and are not desirable by either the farmer or the consumer.  Nesting boxes encourage a strong population of barn owls that prey on rodents, insects, and a variety of other pests that are harmful to crops.  Effective barn owl nesting campaigns have been known to lower and even eliminate expensive pest control costs for farmers who employ these measures.

3. Good fun.  Building a nesting box is a great project for students, campers, scouts, and every community group wanting to participate in good stewardship.  Building a box and finding a good location instills that sense of responsibility in our young people and ensures future generations of stewards of our environment.

Where would I hang a Nesting Box?

Barn Owls like to either be hidden from the view of humans and predators and undisturbed. If the owl can hide, it can easily become accustomed to almost any type of regular human activity or noise and often will quietly observe human activity. They seem to prefer perching on wood rather than metal or stone (presumably for comfort and minimum heat loss) and well-used roost places are almost always where the owl can stay completely dry during wet weather. Given a choice of perching places a barn owl almost always perches at least 10 feet above ground level.  Good locations to hang boxes include high in trees on the edge of a hay or open field,  in the high reaches of a barn, on the inside of a hay barn or shed, or on the outside of the structure facing the open field. 

Good luck!

For more information on nesting boxes or to purchase a wooden nesting box, write to info@obdk.com. 

Owl Brand Supply Company