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As rural land falls prey to housing and commercial developments, the natural habitat of Barn Owls is being steadily destroyed. As their nesting and hunting grounds disappear, the owls’ ability to reproduce and gather food diminishes, ultimately causing their numbers to decline. This decline in the Barn Owl population has had a far-reaching impact on terrestrial ecosystems.

Barn Owls are predators at the top of the food web, mainly hunting small mammals such as mice, rats, and other rodents in open fields, meadows, and marshes. The absence of these natural predators, combined with the resilient nature of some rodents, can cause the rodents to become a nuisance in rural and residential areas around the world.

In an effort to conserve the Barn Owl, the International Barn Owl Restoration Project has brought together the United States and several European countries. Conservation methods have included erecting nest boxes and releasing captively raised birds into the wild. Success rates have been significant. The U.S. organizations GreenPeace and the Sierra Club have also played a crucial role in these conservation efforts.

Questions

1. What does a Barn Owl’s diet consist of? How do we know this?
2. Even if the release of captive owls is successful in increasing their numbers, what can be done about the loss of habitat?
3. If nuisance rodents were eliminated through poisoning, how might the environment ultimately be affected?
4. Distinguish between conserving a single species and conserving an entire ecosystem.

1. Find out more about Barn Owls. Geographically, where do they live in the United States?
2. Identify another instance in which conservationists have attempted to reintroduce a species into a particular area. What lessons have been learned from the successes and failures of reintroduction?
3. Compare the Wildlife and Countryside Act in Britain with the Endangered Species Act in the United States.
4. Divide into two groups: One will represent a corporation proposing to develop a residential area on a 400-acre farm; the other will represent a Barn Owl conservation organization. Set the stage at a town council meeting to discuss pros, cons, and possible compromises.

Taylor, Iain. 2003. Barn owls: Predator prey relationships and conservation. Cambridge University Press.