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<blockquote data-quote="Bink" data-source="post: 1686946" data-attributes="member: 469367">Rats and moles.Barn owls used to be common birds, building their nests in farm buildings, ruined buildings and hollow trees. They are easy to recognise with their golden brown feathers, white underneath and white heart shaped faces. They need open countryside in order to hunt their prey of rats and voles. Farmers used to encourage barn owls to nest by having owl windows in the walls of barns, as farmyards attracted many rats and mice and the owls were good pest controllers.However, modern methods of farming meant ploughing up of grasslands in order to grow food crops, and the removing of hedgerows and verges at the edges of fields where the owls used to hunt. In addition, modern farmyards do not have the large quantities of rats and mice to keep the owls fed during the winter months. Many barn owls are also killed by cars as they hunt in the grass verges on the edge of roads.Barn owls are now so rare that they are a priority species for conservation and are protected by law.Recently, farmers have been encouraged, by schemes such as Tir Gofal in Wales, to provide a wild area around the edge of their fields, which will hopefully benefit the barn owls. Nest boxes could also be provided in areas where traditional nest sites, such as old barns, have been removed.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Bink, post: 1686946, member: 469367"] Rats and moles. Barn owls used to be common birds, building their nests in farm buildings, ruined buildings and hollow trees. They are easy to recognise with their golden brown feathers, white underneath and white heart shaped faces. They need open countryside in order to hunt their prey of rats and voles. Farmers used to encourage barn owls to nest by having owl windows in the walls of barns, as farmyards attracted many rats and mice and the owls were good pest controllers. However, modern methods of farming meant ploughing up of grasslands in order to grow food crops, and the removing of hedgerows and verges at the edges of fields where the owls used to hunt. In addition, modern farmyards do not have the large quantities of rats and mice to keep the owls fed during the winter months. Many barn owls are also killed by cars as they hunt in the grass verges on the edge of roads. Barn owls are now so rare that they are a priority species for conservation and are protected by law. Recently, farmers have been encouraged, by schemes such as Tir Gofal in Wales, to provide a wild area around the edge of their fields, which will hopefully benefit the barn owls. Nest boxes could also be provided in areas where traditional nest sites, such as old barns, have been removed. [/QUOTE]

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