Posts Tagged ‘Chordata’

Operation Barn Owl Nest Box

_{By “Love’s Wildlife Control”}

Picture 2 Tim Love and Lloyd Phillips with the first Owl Nest Box installed on Kay Harsin’s Farm.

The idea of using Barn Owls to reduce rodent populations is not a new idea, BUT it is new to “Love’s Wildlife Control”. In March of 2009, a visitor to my booth at the “Hawkeye Farm Show” in Cedar Falls, Iowa mentioned he was doing this. Intrigued, I began researching Barn Owls and contacting people who are experts. I am inspired and excited about the possibilities of this project. I am happy to be able to help the Barn-Owl and provide a simple and affordable way to those who are interested in the possibilities of using Barn Owls for natural rodent control. This project is about helping restore Barn Owl numbers in Iowa. Rodent control is merely a by-product from achieving our goal.

Why Barn Owls? Well first, Barn Owls are endangered in Iowa and they need our help. Second, the Barn Owls’ diet consists almost entirely of rodents. The vole is number one on their diet followed closely by shrews, mice, rats and gophers. What this means to you is 24/7 rodent control on your property 365 days a year. Barn Owls are the best employees that the landowner can have as they do not need to be paid and they are on duty every day of the year. They ask for nothing but to be left alone and to be protected from predators and the weather with a suitable nest. Third, this is a natural control measure which means you can avoid using most rodent baits, saving you time and money while protecting the environment. Fourth, keeping rodent numbers in check saves excessive damage to your property.

What do you mean by “control”? When I refer to control I do not mean total elimination of rodents. I do not mean that if you put up these boxes that it will fix a hay field that is infested with gophers. I do mean that having a predator that specializes in rodents (the Barn Owl) is an asset to you and your property. Every rodent that the Barn Owl consumes is one less that affects you. Nature is checks and balances and I believe that the Barn Owl helps to maintain the balance.

Why are Barn Owls struggling? Loss of prey habitat is one problem, but in my line of work I see plenty of prey for the owls. Historically Barn Owls have used old hollow trees to nest in. Clearing land for agriculture eliminated many of these old trees. As their name implies, the Barn Owls seek cavities in old buildings like barns to make nest sites, but today many of the old buildings and barns have been replaced by metal buildings that do not allow the owls access. Predators such as the Great Horned Owl and the raccoon make restoring Barn Owl populations very difficult. Nearly every hollow tree or old barn suitable for Barn Owl nesting in Iowa has a few raccoon living there. With few safe nesting areas and large open fields void of large hollow trees, the few Barn Owls we do have are extremely limited in their reproductive capabilities and greatly exposed to the attacks of the great horned owl.

What do we do? The Barn Owl is a very “wimpy” bird which is proven by its high mortality rate, but Barn Owls off-set this by being very prolific breeders. They are capable of breeding throughout the year and can have two broods a year. Each brood may have four or more young. I feel that since they are so prolific and given that they have enough prey available here in Iowa, the only thing that we can logically do is to re-create the missing nesting areas that provide protection from predators-and leave the rest up to the owls.

How do we get started? A good place to start is by installing free-standing nest boxes at least 10 feet high and located away from the larger timber areas that are known to be hangouts for the Great Horned Owl.  One box for every 20 to 40 acres is a good number to strive for. We must remember that the prolific Barn Owl will produce many young and these young will need a safe place to spend their day and eventually raise young of their own. ““Love’s Wildlife Control”” encourages you to put up two nest-boxes (but is not required) initially as more can easily be added at a later time.

What habitat is best? In Iowa we have great habitat for the Barn Owl: pastures, CRP, alfalfa fields, vineyards, terraces, abandoned farms, feedlots, active farms, fence lines, ditches, waterways, grass headlands, etc. Many of these areas are virtually void of trees suitable for the reproduction of Barn Owls but are full of prey for the Barn Owl. Free-standing nest boxes in these areas offer them great protection and a reliable food supply. Typically, Barn Owls do not hunt in the immediate area of their nests. Spacing nest boxes on opposite sides of the property allows the owl hunting areas to overlap.

How do I know I’ll get Barn Owls? There is no guarantee!!! The one thing I feel certain about is that if you don’t put the boxes up you will NOT have them thriving on your property. The experts have told me that some of their own boxes have been up for ten years and have yet to have an owl live in them. But the possibility is there for them to take up residence because the boxes are up and available. In other words, you can’t win if you don’t play, just like the lotto.

Picture 3 The second box is about 400 yards from the first. This large pasture is surrounded by terraced fields  with lots of rodents for the Barn Owls. This particular pasture has 5 boxes with 2 more  close by. Now we WAIT!!!

Why so many boxes? When researching these amazing birds we notice that when the first brood is about half grown the female will naturally move off and begin laying a second clutch of eggs (if a nest site is available). The male is left to feed the “teenaged” youngsters until they can hunt on their own. This leads me to believe that one or two nest boxes are just not enough.  More boxes can easily be added in the future. Barn Owls are not territorial and it is possible to have many females raising young in a small area, such as within 200 yards of each other. It is also possible for one male to have two females laying eggs; given there is enough nesting areas available.

How many rodents do they eat? The numbers are quite staggering and hard to believe. Just one pair, brooding young, account for literally thousands of rodents from your area annually. Having read many websites the answers vary, but in general, an adult owl will eat one a night. But, when a pair is feeding a family, each owlet needs between three and five apiece. For a brood of four young we can expect every night at least 15 rodents will disappear from your property or 105 a week. If we multiply105 a week by the 10 weeks that it takes for the young to fledge, it is logical that 1,050 rodents will be gone!!!  If we can get this pair to brood another time on your property, we could double this for the year which is 2,100; in this figure, this is only the rodents fed to the young, and not  rodents eaten by the parents or by the first brood that are now hunting on their own.

Will the Barn Owls control pocket gophers? Pocket gophers are rodents and while Barn Owls will prey on them readily, the largest pocket gophers of Iowa are just too big for the Barn Owl to swallow whole. During dispersal, the time that the young pocket gophers are being driven from their mother’s tunnels, Barn Owls can eliminate many as young/small gophers are just the right size for the Barn Owl. To answer the question, YES, they do control pocket gophers because the dispersing young pocket gophers are how pocket gopher problems spread.

Do Barn Owls prey on pheasant, quail, and songbirds? I say NO because first, the Barn Owl only kills what it can swallow whole and because nearly 100% of its diet is small rodents. Second, the Barn Owl is a nocturnal hunter meaning it only hunts at night. Third, the Barn Owl hunts by sound and most birds roost at night and are sleeping quietly.

Where is the Operation Nest Box money going? Donations are greatly appreciated and all money generated from donations and owl nest box sales is invested directly back into this project. I have researched and consulted with many experts on the subject of nest boxes. My goal is to build a nest box that is simple, long lasting, and well suited to the Barn Owl. Box dimensions are set to minimize construction waste, maximize usable owl space, and protect the owls from the weather and predators. Boxes are erected on 16’ 4X4 posts in a fence line or on a terrace. The time and labor installing the nest boxes are volunteered but fuel charges will be applied. You are welcome to call and order a box and then pick it up if interested in doing the installation.

Picture 4 Freestanding boxes include sunshade, 2X6 post with coon guards, and mounting bolts.

Thank you for your interest in the project. The nest boxes are $70 each which includes the 4X4 mounting bracket.  I hope to erect some boxes on your property soon. If you would like to donate to the nest box project feel free to send a check and a note explaining such. If you see a Barn Owl, which is known by its white dish shaped face, please call and let us know. All information is useful and needed for us and them to succeed.

*For more information on the fascinating Barn Owl, please just type in “Barn Owl” into your internet search bar and browse the many links available. Here are three of my favorites.

http://members.tripod.com/~Tommy51/aboutbarnowls.html

http://home.earthlink.net/~wildwingco/id3.html

http://www.iowadnr.gov/wildlife/privatelands/barn_owl.html

I would like to thank all of those currently involved in the planning of this venture. First, I want to thank Lloyd Phillips a retired science teacher from Knoxville who I was a student of and am still today. Without Lloyd’s love of woodworking and his generous donation of the use of his wood shop, this project would not be possible. Lloyd has a long-standing track record of practicing good conservation efforts by creating wildlife habitat. He has purple martin houses, an Osprey nest, wood duck boxes, and song bird houses and feeders. Thanks Lloyd!!!

Second, I want to thank Bruce Ehresman from the Iowa Department of natural Resources. Bruce has been involved in Barn Owl research for many years with the IDNR. He has answered a lot of questions from me and makes himself available should I ever (and I will) have more. Thanks Bruce!

Third, I want to thank John Schuster whom owns “The Wild Wing Company” in California. John has a wonderful website that is very informative. John is a raptor expert and has sold and installed countless owl boxes and raptor perches in California vineyards and alfalfa fields. Thanks John for taking the time to talk and for the information on Barn Owl nest boxes.

Fourth, I want to thank Bert Kersey of Fallbrook, CA. Bert has a video called “Backyard Barn Owls” that is very informative and entertaining. I have never visited with him but appreciate the time and effort that he put into his video. His work has been a great help to the Barn Owl and those interested in maintaining them. To order the video go to http://www.barnowlvideo.com/video.html.

Lastly, I would like to thank YOU. Thank you for your interest and taking the time to learn about the Barn Owl, reporting to us your Barn Owl sightings and/or ordering your own Barn Owl nest-boxes. Without people creating homes for the Barn Owl, restoring their numbers to a stable level would probably never happen.

Best Regards,

Tim Love owner of

“Love’s Wildlife Control”

**”Love’s Wildlife Control” believes in supporting local businesses. All lumber for constructing the Barn Owl Nest-boxes is purchased at Spahn and Rose Lumber, of Knoxville, IA. Phone #641-842-2146

Steel for the brackets is cut, punched and bent by Isley Welding and Repair in Knoxville, IA. Phone #641-842-5525

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