Barn Owl Report 2025

Sorby Breck Ringing Group (SBRG) · Author: Annie Adlington · 10 November 2025

The Sorby Breck Ringing Group (SBRG) Barn Owl colour ringing project has now been ongoing for two years, and has already provided valuable insights, including some notable live recoveries, and unfortunate recoveries of birds that have perished.

The main aim of this project is to better understand Barn Owl chick dispersal, which is generally believed to be relatively limited, with most movements falling between 9 and 14 km from their natal sites. However, the first year of a Barn Owl’s life is particularly perilous, with studies indicating that around 70% of juveniles do not survive beyond their first year. Many face significant threats after dispersal, which is evident from our findings.

Results

2025 was a more fruitful year than 2024, with 62 Barn Owls ringed, compared to 49 ringed in 2024. All birds were ringed with blue colour rings, with white letters and numbers on.

In 2024 unfortunately all 5 recoveries reported were deceased birds, 4 of which were killed on roads. Positively, in 2025 5 out of 10 recoveries were live birds, 2 were confirmed to be breeding this season, and 1 was recaught in Autumn, within the locality it was ringed as an owlet in 2024. The 5 dead recoveries were owlets who sadly passed away due to lack of food.

According to the Barn Owl Trust ¹, the average number of hatched young in the UK is 4. However, of the broods ringed by SBRG in the past 5 years, apart from 2022, the Barn Owls in Derbyshire are hatching young at below the UK average. The overall average for the 5 years is 3.2 hatched young per brood in Derbyshire (based on SBRG data).

Potential Risks

Potential risks to Barn Owls in the UK (Barn Owl Trust ²)

1. Rat Poison
2. Major Roads and High-Speed Trains
3. Water Troughs
4. Electrocution/wires
5. Climate/Ecological

Potential risks to Barn Owls in Derbyshire

1. Ash Dieback (road and train kills)- In Derbyshire as a whole, ash is the second most common tree after oak but in limestone areas of the county they are the dominant species. Ash is the dominant tree in the woodlands of the limestone dales, where it may comprise up to 99% of the tree cover.

   Derbyshire County Council currently has an Ash Dieback Action Plan (ADAP) ³ which they produced in 2021, with a 10-year plan for removal of diseased ash trees upon their land. DCC currently manage 3386 miles of highway, and they provide a conservative estimate of 50,000 of Ash trees within frequently occupied areas such as roads, public parks and schools. In a typical year, Britain’s 4,000 pairs of Barn Owls produce roughly 12,000 young and it is estimated that a staggering 3,000 – 5,000 of these are killed on roads⁴. Most deaths on major roads happen in the autumn and involve young Barn Owls in post-fledging dispersal. Major roads are so dangerous to Barn Owls due to the way they hunt, flying low and if roads do not have high screen cover (e.g. trees, hedges, scrubland) with only grass verges, the Barn Owls fly low to hunt the verges, therefore putting them at risk of being hit by high-speed cars. This also applies to train tracks. This could have been, and will have, an impact on roadside cover for Barn Owls, and may contribute to a higher amount of road deaths. Also of note is the high level of Larch Tree felling in Derbyshire over recent years, particularly in the Peak District, due to Phytophthora ramorum (P.ramorum) or 'larch disease'. ⁵ Again, a common roadside tree in Derbyshire.

2. Habitat Loss – according to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust ‘State of Nature Report’ for 2025 ⁶ “Derbyshire's natural environment faces a critical juncture. While the county's 263,000 hectares encompass extraordinary landscapes from upland moors to lowland wetlands, closer examination reveals a complex and concerning picture. Wildlife continues to decline at an alarming rate, with many habitats under increasing pressure despite superficial appearances of environmental health.” Specifically, in relation to habitat for Barn Owls “Of approximately 37,000 hectares under statutory conservation designations, only 6,186 hectares are in good ecological condition. Even our best-protected areas are failing to support the wildlife they're meant to conserve. Grasslands (97% of species-rich grasslands lost nationally since the 1930s), Derbyshire's habitats reflect national trends of decline and fragmentation”.

3. Food/Resources – In Summer 2025 during the Barn Owl main breeding season, Derbyshire (and most of the UK) experienced a warm, dry and sunny summer following our warmest spring on record. Rainfall was also below average, particularly in August, with the UK receiving just 62% of its average rainfall. In the Midlands in particular, rainfall was very low at 22.4mm in August 2025. ⁷ Barn Owl’s most important prey species are Field Voles and Common shrews. According to a study completed in Norway in 1971-1976 ⁸ high summer temperatures negatively impact the food sources (plants) for field voles (Microtus) which would therefore have a direct impact on Barn Owls.

Conclusion

• Project Goal: Track Barn Owl chick dispersal and survival.
• 2025 Results: 62 owls ringed (up from 49 in 2024); 10 recoveries (5 live, 5 dead). 2 live birds were breeding; 1 was recaptured locally. Most deaths linked to road deaths.
• Brood Size: Derbyshire average 3.2 chicks vs UK average 4.
• Main Risks: Road/train collisions, habitat loss, ash/larch dieback, food shortages due to dry summer.

As winter approaches and prey becomes scarcer, Barn Owls will likely become more active during daylight hours to compensate for the reduced availability of food. This increased daytime activity presents greater opportunities for sightings. We encourage everyone to keep an eye out for colour-ringed Barn Owls, which can be identified by a blue ring with white letters on their left leg. If you spot one, please report it to the BTO at: https://app.bto.org/euring/lang/pages/rings.jsp

Author: Annie Adlington, Sorby Breck Ringing Group.
10.11.2025.

Notes and sources

1. https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-facts/owlets-young-barn-owls/ ↩
2. https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/hazards-solutions/ ↩
3. https://democracy.derbyshire.gov.uk/documents/s13954/Appendix3AshDieBackActionPlan.pdf ↩
4. https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/hazards-solutions/ ↩
5. https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/frequently-asked-questions/tree-felling-in-the-goyt-valleyphytophera ↩
6. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2bac389e2f984b5eb0a70bf4401dceb4 ↩
7. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/regional-weather-stats-for-summer-2025 ↩
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1146609X18303576 ↩