Tawny Owl

sbeau66 · #1 (**permalink**) 26-02-2010, 10:01 AM

I went to put some rubbish out last night and there was a tawny owl in my barn, what can I do to encourage it to stay?

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 26-02-2010, 10:35 AM

Put up a nest box on a tree would help attract this species to breed. Also promoting areas of rough vegetation, wide field boundaries, thick hedgerows. Maintaining old tree's and stands of tree's too. Maintain thick under cover on the woodland floor. In the long term if you are going to plant any trees plant beech. This is if you are the owner of the land/ or have land. Can you give me more details is it a farm? what is the surrounding area like? The owl will almost certainally be a resident of the local area this species tends not to move very far.

sbeau66 · #3 (**permalink**) 26-02-2010, 10:38 AM

there is woodland beside my garden, mostly sycamore and some beech, thickly covered in ivy, i expect it nests in there, we hear them calling at night eerily wonderful, i just hoped it might want to move into the barn!

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 26-02-2010, 10:53 AM

Ok in that case the habitat is already good for this species yes I would assume it nests in there. Unlike barn owls they tend not to nest in barns, but putting up a box on a tree is the best way to encourage them. It is likely it uses a hole in a tree or an old crows nest.