Barn Owl Recovery Programme - Ontario

A recovery plan for one of Ontario’s most threatened birds - the Barn Owl - has paved the way for the possible restoration of the species in the Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk and other parts of southern Ontario. The recovery plan has been undertaken by Bird Studies Canada, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Hydro.

The Barn Owl is a small white owl with a heart-shaped facial disc, no ear tufts, dark eyes and golden-buff feathers on its back. It hunts nocturnally in open areas such as old fields, fence rows, wet meadows and wetland edges for mice, voles and shrews. Barn Owls are considered agriculturally valuable predators; a family of six young and two adults can consume over 1,000 mice during the nesting season! Contrary to popular belief, Barn Owls do not eat chickens, cats or upland game birds.

Barn Owls use tree cavities, barns, silos, and abandoned buildings for nest sites. Barn Owls do not build nests. Instead, they litter the base of their nest cavity with regurgitated pellets consisting of fur and bones from prey they have eaten.

Barn Owls were probably never very common in Ontario, which is the northern edge of their range. They have, however, been slowly declining in this province. This decline is mainly a result of changes in farming practices, the loss of habitat such as meadows and wetlands, a decline in prey species and the loss of nesting sites such as cavity trees and old barn structures. The recovery plan identifies measures to increase Ontario’s population of Barn Owls to a self-sustaining level. These include:

• monitoring existing populations and locating current and potential nest sites;
• implementing a public education program;
• setting up artificial nest boxes;
• enhancing the prime habitat that Barn Owls use;
• implementing a two-year trial bird release program;
• assessing the dispersal and survival of the released birds.

The locally-based Barn Owl Restoration Project Committee has generated strong community support for the rehabilitation project involving the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Norfolk Land Stewardship Council, the Great Lakes Raptor Conservancy, Habitat Haldimand, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, the Haldimand and Area Stewardship Council, the Norfolk Field Naturalists, and the Simcoe District Fish and Game Club. Molly Anne’s restaurant recently held a "cigar soiree" that raised $1,500 for the Barn Owl restoration project! Local boy scout groups are currently working to build nest boxes for the Barn Owl. These boxes will be placed in old barns and silos throughout Haldimand-Norfolk, and will hopefully attract barn owls back to this historic habitat.

The Barn Owl Committee is based in the municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk, recognized as an optimum area for possible recovery of the species. Successful trials to re-establish a sustaining population of Barn Owls in this area could lead to additional projects elsewhere in Ontario.

How you can help

The Barn Owl Committee is currently looking for sites in Haldimand-Norfolk where nest boxes can be placed. If you are willing to monitor Barn Owl nest boxes, and own property that consists primarily of old fields and wetlands, with old wooden barns, silos or abandoned buildings, please contact us (see below). We will then visit your property and determine whether it is appropriate for a nest box. Similarly, anyone with information on Barn Owls in southwestern Ontario, particularly past or present nest sites, should contact us.

We also need your help with building nest boxes. If you are willing to build several boxes to help the project, click here to view the working plans. Once your box is built, please contact us so we can assist you in deciding where it can be most effectively placed.  Because we monitor all nestboxes, please be sure and contact us if you have placed a box on your property.  With the help of local landowners, naturalists, and amateur carpenters throughout southern Ontario, we will do our best to provide safe and healthy habitat for this vulnerable species.

Links
Barn Owl Boxes

The Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Contact: John Miles

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