Barn Owl Decline

[chkm8]

This is from another web site. The guy in a 2nd posting has requested help in reaching as many people as possible with requests for sightings in Ireland and especially in the North.
If anyone here knows of any can they let me know and I will pass on the details.

John.

Request for Irish Barn Owl Sightings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I work for Birdwatch Ireland in the Midlands Office, and we've a man here who is working on our Barn Owl project, as well as studying them for a phd. BirdWatch have started the project as Barn Owl numbers have dropped by approx. 50% in the last 20 years in Ireland, yet little is known of their ecology - most papers published are with reference to British Barn owls.

If anyone has recent records of Barn Owl sightings, or better still knows of active roosts/nests we would be very grateful if you could PM them to me. Many thanks.

jamie

[Paul mabbott]

Quote from the "Northerner":
I once asked a wildlife expert what barn owls were called before barns
were invented. He wasn't amused, and didn't answer. But he will
surely be celebrating the news that a York researcher has drawn up a
blueprint which could ensure their survival.

The barn owl's grassland habitat has been eroded by modern farming
methods. There are thought to be just 4,000 pairs of barn owls left
across the British Isles - fewer than a third of the population
living here during the 1930s.

But Dr Nick Askew has established the ideal habitat for this type of
owl and hopes his research will enable the population to recover to
6,000 pairs by 2013.

"We combined information gathered by volunteers with modern mapping
techniques to help identify the best areas for barn owl habitat
creation and nest boxes," he told the Yorkshire Post.

Barn owls mostly hunt voles, but often include mice, shrews and rats
in their diet. Their prey is concentrated in rough grassland. Dr
Askew calculated that the ideal amount of grassland needed was
between 35 and 116 acres, depending on whether the area was arable,
pastoral or mixed agricultural land.

David Ramsden, the head of conservation at the Barn Owl Trust, said:
"This is one of the most important pieces of research that has ever
been conducted into barn owls. It has given us information about
exactly how much grassland is needed to ensure barn owls can thrive
once again." He said it was now important to encourage farmers to
reintroduce the habitats the owl needs.

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Quote from the "Northerner":
I once asked a wildlife expert what barn owls were called before barns
were invented. He wasn't amused, and didn't answer.

This is the sort of trivia I love and couldn't resist going in search of an answer. According to the BBC Science and Nature website, their alternative name is 'Screech Owl'. The Peregrine Fund Website also states that some other common names are Monkey-faced Owl, White Owl, Ghost Owl, and Night Owl.

It's also the most widespread land bird and can be found on all continents except Antarctica.

[Davy]

A quick thankyou to John, for reposting this. Jamie is a colleague of mine at Birdwatch Ireland, so thankyou to him, also, for the initial post.

I shall be taking up my new postion with BWI, tomorrow, as the Barn Owl Project Officer, any sitings of birds, particularly sites known to have breeding or roosting birds (multiple sightings) and individual sitings will be appreciated, at Birdwatch Ireland, 0579151676.

The decline may be substantially greater than Jamie first reported, although we hope to provide more information after this years breeding season.

Thankyou all,

Davy