Description

ACRES Barn Owl nestbox, indoor design, provides a safer home for owlets than some designs due to a 460mm (18”) drop from the entrance hole to the bottom of the box. Hand built in Ireland to last, from environmentally friendly FSC-approved 9mm plywood using steel screws throughout. Approximate size (mm) 630H x 510W x 410D. Built on Exercise platform 510W x 100D.

Courier delivery nationwide, Delivery lead time 2 to 3 weeks. Suitable for the new ACRES agri-environment scheme.

Why an indoor owl box is better than fixing one on the outside of a building:

  • Inside the building, the owls will benefit from the additional shelter. Outside they are more exposed.
  • An indoor Barn Owl nestbox is not suitable for outdoor use, and an outdoor nestbox is much better placed in a tree – because trees usually afford more shelter and owlets can sometimes climb a tree to re-enter the box.
  • A box on the outside will last about 10-15 years. A box on the inside will last as long as the building.
  • Nestboxes designed for indoor use are cheaper.

    Most old barns are good places for nestboxes – without one only 48% have a nesting place.

Is your landscape suitable?

  • Avoid urban, suburban, dense forest and high mountain areas.
  • Avoid sites within 1 km of a motorway or other fast, unscreened, main roads, due to the risk of road-deaths.
  • Nestboxes do not need to be placed directly on patches or strips of rough grassland as the birds are perfectly capable of ‘commuting’ across unsuitable habitats before starting to hunt and have very large home ranges.
  • See https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk for more information about conserving Barn Owls.
  • If you would like a copy of a Barn Owl conservation guide, please e mail me oran@irishgardenbirds.ie

  • A measure to improve Barn Owl conservation, designed by BirdWatch Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is now available to farmers in the new Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). It is hoped that this measure, which focuses on improved methods of rodent control on farms to reduce the use and effects of rodenticides, providing safe and secure nest sites for Barn Owls and linking to habitat enhancement measurers will deliver real benefits for the farmer and Barn Owls and help the Barn Owl population recovery across the country.

     All information on the Barn Owl Action, including the guidance prepared by BirdWatch Ireland and a range of practical videos are available in the guidance document in the BWI website, news section,  or on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website, here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f5a48-agri-climate-rural-environment-scheme-acres/. Farmers who are considering joining ACRES and think they might be eligible for the Barn Owl Action are encouraged to view the information provided by BirdWatch Ireland and contact us for further information, to determine whether they are suitable for this measure.