Love blossoms in penthouse suites of barn owl world (Canada)

They're spacious homes with panoramic river views located in a rural setting on several acres of land. For a young couple looking to start a family, it's a pretty sweet deal. The four-metre drop from the front entry to the ground may be a deal killer for most people but for a barn owl, it only adds to the charm of the place.

The structures, in this case, are miniature barns located high on steel poles to encourage nesting by barn owls. They are, by design, the penthouse suites of the barn owl world.

"The way the boxes are designed helps with the high survival rate," said Andrew Burger, natural areas technician for the Surrey Parks department's urban forestry and environmental programs.

"The boxes are big and there's lots of predator protection. They're elevated off the ground on steel poles so nothing can climb up top them. The boxes are insulated which makes them an ideal year-round habitat. The reason barn owls aren't found north of here is because they can't handle the cold winters. They're not built like other owls with big fluffy feathers. So these boxes give them lots of protection both from predators and from the elements."

Southwestern B.C. and parts of southern Ontario are the only areas of Canada where the climate is suitable for barn owls to survive.

Barn owls are rare in Canada and are considered a "blue listed species" indicating special concern -- the birds numbers are strong but their population is vulnerable to human activity. Even with the special barn owl boxes, the birds are still disturbed by marauding dogs and inconsiderate humans who see the entry holes as prime targets for throwing rocks.

"Their numbers are actually declining in this area just because so much land is being converted from agricultural to development," Burger said. "We're removing old farm buildings and not replacing them with new ones. New buildings in the city are sealed tight so birds can't get in -- those kinds of things are affecting the owl's ability to find places to live.

"Then when you look at the land that's no longer used for agriculture, that takes away their food source. With no place for voles and mice and things like that to live, there's nothing for the owls to eat."

In 2001, the first barn owl box was created to offset the removal of a dilapidated barn at Mound Farm Park (168th and Highway 10). Shortly after, similar structures were raised on Colebrook Road near 136th and at Elgin Heritage Park off Crescent Road.

Barn owls in B.C. can lay two clutches of eggs and raise two broods each year. In 2008, a survey of egg clutches in the barn owl boxes showed each station produced six fledglings over the course of the year. With the average clutch holding three to six eggs, the fledgling count indicates an amazing survival rate of around 50 per cent.

"It's encouraging to see that," Burger said.

"Those were actual, living fledglings. It's not like we just saw eggs in a nest because who knows what happens to them. These are birds that have hatched and grown and can fly."

In January Burger performed the biannual cleanout of the barn owl boxes (December and January are the months least likely for breeding). At each of the three boxes, he was relieved to see one pair of barn owls -- presumably a breeding pair -- flushed from the structure.

"I was pretty stoked to see that," he said.

"That was the first time I had done that so I didn't know what to expect. It was pretty cool to see that the birds are there and are using them.

THE FORUM

OUR SITES

RESOURCES

COMMUNITY

STAY CONNECTED

ORGANIZATION