Survey of Barn Owls in Cavan launched
Have you seen a Barn Owl, know of a Barn Owl nest site or have installed a Barn Owl nest box in Cavan? If the answer is “yes”, then BirdWatch Ireland would love to hear from you!
The conservation group is conducting a survey of Barn Owls in Cavan this summer and are asking the public to report sightings.
The Barn Owl was once a much more common sight throughout the country, including Cavan. Over recent decades, populations have suffered widespread declines and Barn Owl are now a Red-listed Bird of Conservation Concern in Ireland.
The intensification of agricultural practices resulted in the loss of suitable Barn Owl habitats, including a reduction of prey-rich foraging habitat and nesting sites.
Alongside this, the increased use and toxicity of anti-coagulant rodenticides, and the expansion of major road networks are likely to be the main factors which have driven the declines in the Barn Owl populations across Ireland.
In recent years, the fortunes of Barn Owls appear to be turning a corner. Barn Owl pairs have moved into nest boxes provided for them and re-established in old ruins which have not held pairs for many years, especially in the south-west.
One reason for this recovery may be due to the range expansion of non-native small mammal species, the Greater White-toothed Shrew and the Bank Vole, both of which are favoured prey of the Barn Owl and are now widespread throughout Munster and parts of Leinster and Connacht.
The survey in Cavan aims to establish how Barn Owls are faring in the county. The findings will be used to ensure the protection of nest sites and to direct targeted conservation efforts, which will include the provision of nest boxes to help the local Barn Owl population. To assist the survey, BirdWatch Ireland (BWI) are requesting information on Barn Owls in the county.
“It is an unforgettable experience to glimpse the ghostly white figure of the Barn Owl floating silently through the night sky, or to hear their eerie screeches and peculiar snoring calls,” says Alan McCarthy, BWI’s Barn Owl Research Officer. “Anybody who has been lucky enough to experience this for themselves remembers such an encounter, and we are asking people to report this information to us, which will greatly help our survey efforts to locate nest sites and to determine the health of the population in Cavan.
“Our knowledge of Barn Owls in Cavan is very limited when compared with most other counties in Ireland, so it will be incredibly interesting to see how Barn Owls are faring in this part of Ireland.”
BWI also stress that Barn Owls are a protected species and can be very sensitive to disturbance, and that potential nest sites should never be approached or interfered with.
The Cavan project is the latest in a series of surveys of the species.
“Cavan is one of the final counties we have yet to survey, and it is also one of the most interesting, given the changes to the small mammal communities currently taking place across the county. We look forward to seeing how many breeding pairs of Barn Owls we can find this year.”
The project is a collaboration between BWI and Cavan County Council, and is funded by the Local Biodiversity Action Plan Fund through the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
“Cavan Heritage Office is delighted to support Birdwatch Ireland to carry out this much needed survey,” said Anne-Marie Ward, Heritage Officer. She urged members of the public: “if you are aware of a Barn Owl nest site in your area please contact BirdWatch Ireland.”
To report local Barn Owls sightings see: http://bit.ly/BarnOwlSurvey-BirdWatchIreland