Clare Barn Owl population sees increase after 40 year decline
AFTER decades of decline, Barn Owls have been found to have had a population boost in Clare.
BirdWatch Ireland, in partnership with the Heritage Office of Clare County Council, conducted a survey and found that Barn Owls were recorded in parts of the county where they have been absent for decades.
Historically, the presence of Barn Owls on the farm was embraced, due to these highly efficient hunters for feeding on rats and mice, lending them the title of ‘the farmers’ friend’.
Surveys show that Barn Owls were widespread throughout the county in the late 1960s, but 40 years later their numbers had drastically reduced, mostly due to modernised farming methods driving them away.
In Clare, Barn Owls had become an increasingly rare sight, but evidence suggests that this is changing as an increase has been identified in Barn Owl breeding range of 155% in County Clare over the past 10 years.
Alan McCarthy of BirdWatch Ireland, who coordinated the survey, said: “It is amazing to document an increase in Barn Owl populations in County Clare, given the widespread declines they had experienced up until recently - this is a really positive conservation story.
“The reasons behind their recent population increases are not fully understood, since many of the threats to Barn Owls such as habitat loss and rodenticide poisoning still remain.
“Changes in Barn Owl numbers may be related to the recent arrival of introduced small mammal species to Clare, which Barn Owls feed on. It is therefore important that we do not become complacent and that we ensure to make the most of these short-term increases to try and secure the future of this iconic farmland bird in the county by taking measures that will benefit them and other wildlife in the long term.”
This survey enlisted the help of farmers and the general public who reported information on Barn Owls across the county and also involved systematically checking a wide range of ruined structures, which are the typical nesting sites of Barn Owls.
The next phase of this work, a Barn Owl nest box project, is currently underway, with 16 nest boxes installed throughout County Clare in late 2022, with more nest boxes being installed this summer.
Congella McGuire, Heritage Officer with Clare County Council who supported the survey, said: “The process of undertaking the Clare Barn Owl survey illustrated the importance and effectiveness of citizen science, and the degree to which the public were interested in being involved with the survey.
“Many people reported sightings of Barn Owls and records of breeding Barn Owls in their areas, and many more expressed an interest in installing a Barn Owl nest box in their property”.
The Barn Owl survey and conservation initiatives in County Clare were coordinated by BirdWatch Ireland in partnership with Clare County Council with the support of the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.