Farmers urged to help barn owls as climate change and habitat loss threatens their survival - Ulster Wildlife
One of Northern Ireland’s most loved but endangered countryside birds, the barn owl, is having a tough time this year as extreme weather events, linked to climate change, have taken their toll on an already struggling population according to conservationists.
With numbers having declined alarmingly due to loss of suitable hunting and foraging habitat, Ulster Wildlife is urging farmers to take action to safeguard the farmland bird’s future, as fewer than 30 breeding pairs are now estimated to be left.
Katy Bell, Senior Conservation Officer at the charity, explains, “This has been a challenging year for our threatened barn owls. The cold spring snap followed by the heatwave and heavy downpours is a killer combination for the birds as they are not adapted for unpredictable weather, which makes breeding and survival much more difficult. Sadly, these conditions may become more frequent given the effects of climate change, as highlighted in this week's IPCC report. Barn owls need our help now, more than ever if we want to ensure their long-term future, and farmers and landowners, as custodians of our countryside, play a key role in helping them thrive. By working together, we can help protect precious nest sites, monitor these beautiful birds, and provide help and advice on owl-friendly farming.”
Often dubbed the ‘farmer’s friend’ for its reputation for eating rodents and providing free pest control, barn owls rely on a healthy population of wood mice, young rats and pygmy shrews to feed on and sustain their chicks. The charity is encouraging farmers to help increase the bird’s food supply by providing rough grassland margins, leaving wild corners untouched, and reducing rodenticide use by following the CRRU (Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use) code of practices.
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Posted On: 11/08/2021