Home > Membership > Appeals > Owls > Barn Owl

BTO Owl Appeal

Barn Owl

We probably know more about Barn Owls than any of the other four species of British owl. There are keen groups of dedicated owl-watchers all over the country and many young birds are ringed at the nest by trained BTO volunteers. Surprisingly, therefore, we still have insufficiently good data to enable Barn Owls to be included in the government’s Farmland Bird Index. We hope that the Barn Owl Monitoring Programme, supported by the Owl Appeal, will help to remedy this problem.

There can be fewer better birdwatching moments than the sight of a Barn Owl, at dawn or dusk, patrolling along field edges on the look-out for voles, rats and other prey items. Many Barn Owls are killed by cars as they hunt along road verges. If you ever find a ringed bird please report it to the BTO’s Ringing Unit.

The species is distributed widely, as can be seen from the map in the BTO’s second Breeding Atlas of 1988-1991.

To see an earlier distribution map, click here.

How will the BTO Owl Appeal help Barn Owls?

Click here to find out more.

Please support the BTO Owl Appeal

Any donation will help us to turn the spotlight on the plight of our owl species. Cheques, made payable to BTO, should be sent to BTO Owl Appeal, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU , you can phone 01842 750050 and make a credit-card donation or give on line.

Priorities - Farmland	Priorities - Woodland	Priorities - Other
Barn Owl	Tawny Owl	Little Owl
Long-eared Owl	Short-eared Owl	Get Involved

Back to Owls Main Page

© British Trust for Ornithology
BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU
Tel: +44 (0)1842 750050 Fax: +44 (0)1842 750030 Email: info@bto.org
Registered Charity Number 216652. This page last updated: 27 February, 2006