Conservation group reports record season of barn owl chicks

Record numbers of barn owl chicks have been recorded by a Warminster-based group following a successful breeding season.

The Lewis Raptor Owl Group has recorded a total of 229 barn owl chicks across the region, marking a significant recovery from the previous year.

They said last year was described as a ‘fail year’ for the species across much of the country, with fewer than 20 young owls recorded in the local area.

Justine Hadfield from the group said, “We started checking kestrel boxes along with the few tawny and little owl boxes we have. Kestrels were a bit slow off the mark but we ended up with a total of 48, which was similar to last year, but still about 30 fewer than 2024, when I first started running the group.

“We gained five tawny and 10 little owl chicks this season, which is good news. Now, barn owls. Their breeding, along with other birds, depends on food supply. A barn owl’s main food source is the short tailed vole. Spring was warmer than last, and this meant the vegetation grew, which is what the voles need to breed.

“We started checking barn owl boxes in mid April and I certainly wasn’t prepared for what we would find. Box after box were full of eggs fives and sixes and even a nine. Surely not all would hatch? Well, most of them did, and we had a final total of 229 barn owl chicks, a massive increase on last year. This is pointing to a ‘good vole year’, which means a warm wet spring was ideal for them to breed.”

Despite the high number of young owls, subsequent checks revealed primarily wood mice rather than short-tailed voles in the nesting boxes. The group has supplied barn owl pellets to the Wiltshire Mammal Society for pellet dissection workshops, which may help determine whether the birds simply ate their preferred voles first and left the mice until last.

The group’s work covers the Wylye, Till and Nadder valleys.

“The season for box checking has come to an end. All I can hope is that as many young as possible survive, and the numbers in West Wiltshire continue to do well,” Justine added.