Barn Owl nest box, 12mm marine ply is the ultimate outdoor design owl box. It provides a safer home for owlets than some designs due to a 460mm (18”) drop from the entrance hole to the bottom of the box. Hand built in Ireland, from environmentally friendly FSC-approved 12mm marine grade plywood using steel screws throughout. Approximate size (mm) 710H x 740W x 500D. Built on Exercise platform 510W x 100D.  Exposed roof is covered with bitumen felt.

Courier delivery nationwide, Boxes are  Suitable for the ACRES agri-environment scheme

A tree site is preferable to a pole, as a mature tree will provide more cover. An ideal tree would be:

• A mature tree with a thick trunk.
• Isolated, in a hedgerow or on the woodland edge.
• With a high canopy.
• With few or no low branches.
• Where a nest box can be placed at least 3 meters above ground level.
• Where the nest box access hole would be visible to a passing owl, even when the tree is in full leaf and seen from a distance.
• Place on the dry side of a tree, Nth or Nth East for preference, slight tilt down to stop rain entering the box cavity.
• Quite close to strips or patches of rough grassland.
• A shallow cover of dry bark chips ( one inch) in the bottom of the box is recommended for the owls to fashion a “nest”.

Is your landscape suitable?

• Avoid urban, suburban, dense forest and high mountain areas.
• Avoid sites within 1 km of a motorway or other fast, unscreened, main roads, due to the risk of road-deaths.
• Nestboxes do not need to be placed directly on patches or strips of rough grassland as the birds are perfectly capable of ‘commuting’ across unsuitable habitats before starting to hunt and have very large home ranges.
• See https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk for more information about conserving Barn Owls.
• If you would like a pdf copy of a Barn Owl conservation and information guide, please e mail me oran@irishgardenbirds.ie
•  All information on the Barn Owl Action, including the guidance prepared by BirdWatch Ireland and a range of practical videos are available in the guidance document in the BWI website, news section,  or on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website, here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f5a48-agri-climate-rural-environment-scheme-acres/. Farmers who are considering joining ACRES and think they might be eligible for the Barn Owl Action are encouraged to view the information provided by BirdWatch Ireland and contact us for further information, to determine whether they are suitable for this measure.