Frequently asked questions

Found an owl?

• I’ve found an injured/sick owl, what should I do?
• I’ve found a young Barn Owl, what should I do?
• I’ve found a young Tawny Owl, what should I do?
• I’ve found a young owl, what species is it?
• I’ve found a ringed owl, and/or a dead owl, what should I do?

Nestboxes

• Which is best, a nestbox in a building, in a tree, on a pole?
• I have an indoor Barn Owl nestbox. Where and how should I put it up?
• I have a Barn Owl treebox. Where and how should I put it up?

Encouraging Barn Owls

• 10 ways to encourage wild Barn Owls.
• Is my area suitable for Barn Owls?
• Can I feed wild Barn Owls?
• Will someone come and see if my site is suitable for a nestbox? We cover Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, and bordering parts of Somerset. Some visits may be free, depending on circumstances, but others will be charged for. Elsewhere, we will try to put you in touch with an independent Barn Owl worker/organisation. Please contact us to find out more about site assessment.

Planning/Development

• I am concerned about a wind turbine/wind farm planning application. Will it affect our local Barn Owls?
• A Barn Owl site is due for development or demolition. Will it affect our local Barn Owls?
• I am required to make provision for Barn Owls. What do I need to do?
• Does the Barn Owl Trust provide Bat and Barn Owl Surveys? We can recommend a surveyor in your area who can survey for bats and who we have trained to survey for Barn Owls. Generally speaking, these are independent Ecological Consultants. Please see our Barn Owl Directory; click on your region, your county and then Barn Owl Surveys for further details.

Visits, volunteering and talks

• Can the Barn Owl Trust visit our school?
• Can the Barn Owl Trust provide a speaker for one of our group meetings?
• Can I volunteer for the Barn Owl Trust?
• Can we visit the Barn Owl Trust? You are very welcome to book on one of our scheduled events but – sorry – we’re not open to the public at other times.

Miscellaneous

• Where can I obtain wild Barn Owl pellets? We receive far more requests for pellets than we can accommodate. As a result, availability is strictly limited to schools and other educational institutions, and to no more than 30 pellets per institution, per year. Please contact us for further details. Alternatively, you can purchase an individual pellet dissection pack with a pellet in it.
• Where can I buy or sell a captive-bred Barn Owl? We do not buy or sell Barn Owls, nor are we in a position to recommend anyone that does. Try Cage & Aviary Birds magazine or a reputable falconry organisation. See: Thinking of keeping a captive Barn Owl?
• How can I support the work of the Barn Owl Trust? Find out how to help wild Barn Owls, even without much spare cash or time. We are a very small charity and we make sure that a little goes a long way!