It is said to be a wise thing for a grower of fruits and vegetables to welcome barn and/or screech owls into their orchards and gardens. Barn owls are one of the world's most common birds but are rarely seen because the do their work mainly at night. A full-grown barn owl can eat two to three (2-3) rodents per night, and a family of barn owls could eat up to 3,000 rodents per year!
Barn owls feed on many pests like gophers, mice, rats, and squirrels. These birds adapt well to man-made environments and the use of barn owl boxes is recommended by preservation and education groups such as Backyard Barn Owls (http://www.barnowlvideo.com/index.html) and Owl Brand Discovery Kits (http://obdk.com/). Check out their sites for cool information and plans for building barn owl boxes.
This is my first project of building a barn owl box, for Feser Cold Springs. It seems that there is debate as to which model is most effective in retaining a family of barn owls, and I plan to try a few. This first model is rather basic. It is usually recommended that 3/4" thick wood boards be used to keep the weight light, as you have to hang the box 20' above ground (or higher) for it to work. I used 1" thick boards because I believe that the final product will be more durable, and because you take what you can get when shopping for wood from trash cans. It will be heavy to lift.
With a little spare time and energy I was able to collect materials, build, and hang my first barn owl box. Thanks Keith Wise for your help. Now all I have to do is wait for a mama owl to move in and lay some eggs. It is said that once a group of barn owls moves in to your box that it will be like having a new pet for years to come. Also, with baby owls the mama often has to hunt and feed during the day, so it is suggested that you hang your barn owl box within sight of indoor viewing, for the show!
More interesting photos to come!
