Barn Owl Magic
(Page 4 of 4)
December/January 2003
By Terry Krautwurst
It's easy to see, then, why a family of barn owls is about as good as it gets when it comes to natural rodent control. Unfortunately, the owls' habitat — open, grassy pasture and hedgerows with healthy rodent populations — faces the devouring appetite of a different sort. The conversion of pastures to row crops, and the loss of open land to development, is rapidly reducing barn owls' foraging territory.
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Even the owls' namesake nesting site the venerable barn with a protected loft is slowly disappearing. Although barn owls are adaptable and will nest in tree cavities, caves and other natural shelters, they don't accumulate fat for the winter and are poorly equipped to survive cold weather. Barns are critical, then, especially in northern climates. In many places barn owls continue to thrive. But in others, sadly, they've become symbols of a rural landscape that's vanishing quietly and surely — like a "ghost owl" in the night.
Barn owls are nature's most efficient varmint control, and they need our help finding nesting sites. You can build simple and inexpensive nest boxes to provide critical habitat for breeding pairs. They can be placed in trees or old buildings, or mounted on poles. Visit www.owlpages.com/ow/boxes.htm for plans and resources. Or contact Bio-Diversity Products (209) 369-8578 to order prebuilt boxes or do-it-yourself construction guides.
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