Barn Owl habitat: Tales of the hedgebank

Where do Barn Owls Hunt?

Barn Owls hunt mainly at dusk and dawn, flying low over rough grass fields, hedges and ditches looking for voles, shrews and mice. Over a whole year a pair of Barn Owls and their family might eat about 5,000 small mammals. You might think that because so many small animals are being caught all the time that there might be not many left. In fact, because these little animals produce so many young, the opposite is true. The numbers of predators are controlled by the amount of prey!

Barn Owl Habitat

A Barn Owl hunts for mice and voles over long grass

What sort of places are best for Barn Owls?

The best sort of habitat for Barn Owls is long, rough, tussocky grass with a deep litter-layer of dead grass and leaves. Places that are good for Barn Owls are also good for all sorts of other birds, butterflies, insects, small mammals, reptiles (such as lizards) and plants.
If you see a Barn Owl hunting it’s a good sign that the local countryside is healthy and thriving!

Print and colour this Barn Owl habitat picture from our Educational Resources.