Are farming efforts helping barn owls thrive?

Rob Law, farmer from Thrift Farm, Royston and Barn Owls up for 'naming' as part of a research project by Jordans Cereals and Conservation Grade

June 2011: A pioneering new research project studying the fledging rates of barn owls on Conservation Grade farms has been launched.

Project Barn Owl, conducted by Conservation Grade in partnership with Jordans Cereals, will use barn owls as ‘scientists' to study whether more barn owl chicks survive to fledge because of the healthier habitats found on Conservation Grade farms versus conventional farms.

Fifty farms, including those in Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Hampshire and Gloucestershire will take part in the research - the first of its kind.

In all, it is estimated that Conservation Grade farmers are now managing around 65,000 acres of wildflower meadows, hedgerows, grass margins, woodlands and wetlands so creating habitats for many of the UK's best-loved wild creatures, including the barn owl.

‘I am proud our farm supports wildlife'
Rob Law, Conservation Grade farmer and supplier to Jordans comments: ‘As a farmer, I'm a custodian of the British countryside, which is why it is so important schemes like Conservation Grade exist to ensure there is wildlife left in the countryside for generations to come. I am really proud our farm is managing to support wildlife like barn owls.'

The reason the new study is focusing on barn owl fledging rates is that the birds are at the top of a countryside food chain and only thrive where the eco-system is healthy enough to support a rich variety of other animals and species.

Another factor is that although barn owls are a defining icon of rural British life, their numbers have fallen sharply since the 1930s when there were an estimated 12,000 pairs. Today it is estimated that there are just 6,000-8,000 pairs in the UK.

The reasons for this decline include a loss of nesting sites, connected habitat, lack of winter food and severe winters. Typically, the survival rate of barn owls in their first year is less than 30 per cent.

Barn owls used to be a common sight
Tim Nevard, CEO of Conservation Grade comments: ‘Although the barn owl used to be a common sight, few people today are fortunate enough to have seen this most elegant of predators in its natural environment.'

Project Barn Owl intends to use comparative data from other barn owl studies to benchmark its results. Nest boxes have been placed on 50 Conservation Grade farms around the country in a bid to measure its impact on barn owl chick fledging rates. The project is managed using licensed volunteers, who will record the results.

To mark the start of the project, Jordans is launching ‘Adopt a Barn Owl' - a competition that will allow four people to name their very own barn owl chick. Consumers are invited to visit www.jordanscereals.co.uk to suggest a suitable name for one of the barn owl chicks Jordans hope will fledge on Conservation Grade farms this summer and they'll be entered a draw to Adopt a Barn Owl.

There are four chicks up for adoption and each winner will be able to name their chick and receive an adoption certificate, a picture and a free family pass to Bill Jordan's Pensthorpe Nature Reserve in Norfolk, which is also a Conservation Grade farm, plus a year's supply of Jordan Cereals (terms & conditions apply).