COUNTDOWN
2002 - Cheshire region Biodiversity Programme
|
COUNTDOWN
2002 - Cheshire region Biodiversity Programme
|
SIZE 34 cm
male 290 - 340g
female 330 - 460g
KEY FEATURES Appears
almost totally white whilst perched and in flight. The barn owls heart shaped
facial disc and black eyes make this a distinctive species. Both sexes have
golden brown upperparts, with the male being generally lighter in colour whilst
the female often has more obvious black spotting on the flanks and underwings.
NEST The eggs are laid in a depression in pellet debris in tree holes, buildings, church towers, old barns, on hay bales, in rock crevices, and nestboxes. Most nest sites are traditional and are used by many generations of barn owl.
BREEDING Barn owls begin courtship in March or April, with the eggs laid in April or May, dependent on weather conditions. The nesting period is usually from May to September. If food supply and weather conditions are good then it is not unusual for 2 broods to be laid.
EGGS A full clutch usually consists of 3-7 eggs, with 5 being the average. These are chalky white and are around 40mm in size. The female incubates, with each egg being laid at 2-3 day intervals. The incubation period is 31 days.
YOUNG Staggered hatching
results in the brood of young varying considerably in size. They fledge after
55 - 65 days, and at first are covered in soft down, but after 9-10 weeks this
is replaced by adult plumage.
The young are more often heard than seen, snoring and hissing loudly.
FOOD Small mammals are the favoured prey of barn owls; voles, mice, shrews. Up to 30 mammals a day are presented to the brood each day. Barn owls quarter fields and also hunt from perches.
VOICE Barn owls have an extensive repertoire of sounds - screams, squeaks, chirrups and snores. The drawn-out screech is the courtship song.
HABITAT Rough grassland, open lowlands, hedgerows, banks and ditches, woodland edge, plantations and roadside verges, are all favoured prey-rich foraging habitat.
DISTRIBUTION Lowland areas, predominantly farmland below 300m. Widespread, but localised, species throughout Britain.
STATUS The barn owl
is becoming an increasingly rare sight in our countryside. It is estimated that
there is now less than 5,000 pairs in England and Wales, 650 pairs in Scotland
and 600-900 pairs in Ireland (Hawk & Owl Trust, 1989). The barn owl has
experienced an estimated 20-50% decline in its population over the last 20 years
The barn owl is protected under Schedules 1 and 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, which makes disturbing a used nest site an illegal act.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Phone: 01270 610180
Fax: 01270 610430
Email: [email protected]