Barn Owl Tyto alba
With a heart shaped face, buff back and wings and pure white under parts the barn owl is a distinctive and much loved countryside bird. Widely distributed across the UK, and indeed the world, the bird has suffered declines over the past fifty years as a result of the degradation of once prey-rich habitats in the face of intensive agricultural practices.
Conservation status in Norfolk
Threatened, Barn owls have declined both nationally and in Norfolk. Barn owl numbers have fallen by more than half since 1932. Reasons for this decline include a fall in the number of nest sites with barns and derelict farm buildings being converted into homes, road deaths and the decline in area of rough grassland hunting grounds.
How to help
If barn owls nest on your property limit disturbance between March and July as this is usually the period when the eggs are being incubated and young are hatching. Being aware of areas used by barn owls for hunting and ensuring these are managed as rough grassland will help the owls find food. Nest boxes are often used by barn owls. Boxes can be placed high up on a beam or near a roof apex of a building as long as there is easy access to the building for the owls and it is relatively undisturbed. Equally nest boxes placed on poles in area of rough grassland or on trees are often successful.
Barn owls are unmistakable birds. They can appear totally white. In fact Barn Owls are beautifully marked on the back and wings with shades of grey, buff and brown. The barn owl has the characteristic owl-shape with a heart-shaped facial mask, rounded wings and pale colouration. Barn owls do not hoot, but they do however hiss, click and scream.
When and where can I see common cranes in Norfolk?
Possibly the best place in Britain to view wild common cranes in winter is
NWT Hickling Broad. Between November and February from the Stubb Mill raptor roost viewpoint, common cranes can be seen coming in to roost at sunset. (As well as the cranes, large numbers of marsh harriers are almost guaranteed in the roost, with occasional sightings of hen harrier, merlin and barn owl.)
In spring and summer, cranes are very vulnerable to disturbance at breeding sites but sightings of flying and feeding birds are regularly seen in the Hickling, Horsey, Winterton area of the Norfolk Broads.
Visitors to NWT Hickling Broad, during visitor centre opening periods, can obtain further information on opportunities to view cranes from the centre staff.
Parking is not available at Stubb Mill raptor viewpoint, therefore please park at NWT Hickling Broad car park – walking directions can be found on the orientation station located near the visitor centre (it's roughly a fifteen minute walk along an often muddy track, so wellington boots are recommended).
Where is the best place to put up a barn owl box?
The best place to put up a barn owl box is at sites where barn owls are regularly seen. If barn owls are already using a building or a tree for roosting then providing a nest box may encourage them to use the site for nesting. There is no point in providing nest boxes for barn owls in areas that lack sufficient good habitat, such as rough tussocky grassland, for hunting. Nest boxes can be successfully placed in buildings such as barns or sheds, in trees or mounted on poles in open areas. Do not put a barn owl box within a woodland as they prefer isolated trees or trees on the very edge of the wood or along a hedgerow. Providing several boxes is a good idea as these provide additional roost sites and safe places for young owls when they first leave the nest site.
When is the best time to move barn owl nest boxes?
Barn Owls are afforded special protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This means you need to obtain a licence to look in the box even if it is on your land.
Barn owls have been recorded egg laying all year round within Norfolk. Although the main breeding period is from March to August there are sometimes second broods that don’t fledge until November.
To be sure you are not infringing the law or disturbing potential or actual breeding birds, the best time to move the boxes will be December or January.
If this isn’t practical then a possible course of action would be to contact the British Trust for Ornithology to see if they could find a suitably licenced ringer who could check the box for any signs of occupancy.
For more information see:
BTO
Barn Owls On Site Guide
What is happening to barn owl numbers?
Numbers have dropped by more than half since the 1930s. The main causes of decline are loss of nest sites as mainly grassland/woodland areas are developed and barns are converted for housing. Road deaths have also led to declines and owls will not breed in the areas surrounding roads, which may have suppressed the population.
However barn owls are currently doing quite well in Norfolk which remains one of the best places in the country to see one of these lovely birds.
Where can I see barn owls in Norfolk?
They are usually found on farmland or grassland where they will be seen hunting. The most likely time to see them is dawn or dusk although it is not uncommon to see them during the day. They can also regularly be seen along the roadside as they use the verges to hunt. Barn owls are regularly seen at NWT Hickling Broad, RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, NWT Salthouse Marshes and RSPB Titchwell.
What is the best position for a bird nest box?
Facing it between north and east is best to avoid the worst of the sunlight, wind and rain. If the nest box is tilted forward slightly it will help any rain run off. It is important that the entrance is clear to enable birds to have an easy flight path.
The height the nest box should be placed depends on the species it is intended for. Boxes for tits, sparrows, spotted flycatchers and starlings are best placed 2 to 4 metres high, whereas open fronted nest boxes designed for robins and wrens are best placed lower down in thick cover at between 1 and 2m above ground. Woodpecker boxes can be higher at 5-10m and placed on a tree truck.
Boxes for barn owls and kestrels need to be sighted overlooking open land on the edge of woodland or on farmland. Tawny owl boxes are best within woodland itself. They should be placed at least 5 metres above the ground.
How do I make a barn owl nest box?
You can find instructions for making exterior and interior barn owl boxes on the website of
The Hawk and Owl Trust.
Surveying habitats – How do I find out what habitats are in a local area?
Once you are equipped to start surveying habitats you will need to make your own map. You will need to incorporate the main habitat areas in your map which will show at a glance the habitats present. The map can be annotated by codes and colours. Remember to keep it simple.
So what codes/colours should I use?
Below are listed the standard codes and colours as used by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, for further information see: Handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Survey – A Technique for Environmental Audit (2007) or visit
www.jncc.gov.uk/page-2468
Habitat
|
Code |
Colour |
Arable/farmland
Woodland
Scrub
Grassland
Amenity Grassland
Bracken/nettles
Heathland
Spring/fen
Standing Water
Running Water
Hedgerow |
A
A1
A2
B
A
J
G2
E
G1
D
C
|
No Colour
Dark Green
Green Hatch
Yellow
Orange
Brown
Yellow
Purple
Blue
Blue
Green Line |
You may decide to identify the types of habitat in more detail than shown above. For example, separating deciduous woodland from coniferous woodland is quite straightforward. Separating different types of grassland can be tricky, but with practice it is fairly easy to distinguish between improved grassland and semi-improved and unimproved grassland, which are important habitats for wildlife.
Create target notes
As well as marking your map with colours/codes, you can also indicate key items such as an ancient tree by including a target note.
Mark each target note with a number on your map and on a separate sheet of paper record what it is and the reason for including it as a target note. You can also include key species that you may spot during your survey such as an unusual plant or maybe a barn owl flying overhead.
End result – digitising or colouring in the main map
Once the survey is complete, a map showing the whole parish can then be marked up. The map will then show at a glance the key habitats in your local area.