Build Backyard Habitat for Barn Owls

Barn owls will take up residency in a bewildering array of artificial cavities. Boxes that are designed for them are best, but I’ve seen them settle in everything from an old milk can to an almost-full bucket of sand in a metal garden shed. As with all life, barn owls need three things: water, food, and cover. They get all the hydration they need from the food they eat, so those first two bases are covered. Add one or two nest boxes, and it’s just a matter of time before they move in. And barn owls are useful neighbors; they have an elevated metabolism, so their need for calories is high, and they can easily rid a property of rodents.

You can buy or build nesting boxes to bring owls to your backyard. Why are nesting boxes needed? Because urban and suburban areas lack hollow trees, which are barn owls’ most common nesting sites. What do we do with hazardous hollow trees in residential areas? We cut them down.

The configuration of a nest box is important. Most owl