May 3 Why are there no barn owls in my nest box?
I’m not going to lie, knowing what I know about bird preferences, with the care we take in building and placing barn owl nest boxes, it surprises me that we are as successful as these little raptors. Use them. It always seems that the more we wish for something to happen in nature, the less likely it is that it will actually happen. The more we think we know about science, the harder it becomes to make predictions.
But we have remarkable success with barn owl nest boxes across North America, perhaps because we are working to remove older trees that we deem more dangerous. who are likely to have the cavities they need to raise their families. That’s why I understand how disappointed families are when they contact us to ask what they can do to entice a family of barn owls to move into the nest box they have placed on their property. Barn owls can nest from February to August in some areas, so avoid making changes during the nesting season to avoid stressing the owls who are looking for a suitable place to raise their brood.
Let’s look at some reasons why a barn owl might avoid using your nest box and what you can (and can’t) do about it.
Lights, camera, no action?
Barn owls are nocturnal and cautious birds. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves, especially if there are other predators, such as hawks, great horned owls, and predatory mammals in the area. Having the nest box area well lit will deter them from using your nest box. Like the other wiOlder animals, they are also sensitive to the novelty of their environment. If you have a bird box camera and they are not using it, it might be a good decision to remove the camera from the box. You can try putting a trail camera outside the box if you really want to watch.
Placement
The nest box may be too close to daily traffic, whether humans or wildlife, and moving it to a quieter location will be the ticket to occupancy. If it is near a road or has a lot of yard work being done, consider placing it elsewhere. Try lifting it even higher. Some owls are more demanding than others when it comes to weather and traffic, depending on different environmental pressures specific to your area. Try rotating the inlet slightly to see if that changes things.
Bees and birds
Other residents could have moved in! If a swarm has taken up residence, you will need to contact your local beekeeper. Once the bees are gone, wipe the bar soap inside the box to deter the bees. Barn owls won’t smell it. Sometimes other bird species settle in. If that’s the case, there’s nothing you can do about it except enjoy the diversity!
However, unfortunately, barn owls sometimes abandon a nest box if a chick or parent dies in the nest box. If this happens, as unfortunate as it may be, it is a federal offense to handle any of the other remaining birds. Contact your local approved wildlife rehabilitation agency, as they are the only ones authorized to handle the situation. This is a very sad and difficult part of nature and it is difficult to be a part of it when we bring this aspect of nature into our lives. Becoming familiar with incipient behavior is a great awareness to have in order to be a useful student of owl behavior.
Rodenticides
Even if your yard is full of gophers and other unwanted rodents, your neighbors may be using different means to control the rodent community. Check with them to see if they have used rodenticides or other ecocides such as strong insecticides that create imbalances in the habitat. This will impact the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, the habits of rodents and the owls will find other places to hunt. Having these kinds of informal conversations with your neighbors is how we can change commonly held beliefs about environmental responsibility and offer alternatives that still help meet everyone’s needs.
Box material
Barn owl nest boxes can come in a variety of materials, and manufacturers wouldn’t build them a certain way if they weren’t successful. That said, the barn owl can choose what it likes and what it doesn’t like, and different communities have different tastes for various reasons. Some heat differently than others, sound different, and some even attract parasites and pests differently. If you don’t succeed year after year, try a different type of box.
Environment
You may simply not have suitable habitat for barn owls. There may be a pair of Great Horned Owls nesting nearby that regularly kill barn owls, or there may not be enough of their preferred prey to
the number of predators in the region. The quantity of threadThe ts in your neighborhood might be too high. There are reasons beyond your control that determine whether a pair of barn owls feels it is a good place to raise a family. You might consider an owl or kestrel box, or you could even install hawk perches which would make for good hunting sites if you don’t want to leave dead trees. There are other ways to provide habitat for birds that would encourage the types of ecosystem interactions that add value through observation and allow birds to thrive in healthy territories.
Barn owl nest boxes are a joy to have on your property. It’s worth keeping in mind that barn owls may have preferences if there are competitive and adaptive pressures, and they may not choose your spot right away. If after a year or two you might try changing a few variables. It’s also a good thing to remember that you are introducing a very dynamic part of life and death into your daily life. Nature exists on its own terms, and it can deliver harsh lessons about the realities birds face. Improving your awareness of native species and biology regulations is a good foundation for welcoming any part of this process.