Chapter 14 of 23

History, Law and Folklore

Ghosts, superstitions and the rules that protect Barn Owls today

About 4 minute read

A bird of the old farm

For most of British history, the Barn Owl was a familiar neighbour. Through the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries it was probably our commonest owl, living in the lofts and towers of farms, churches and country houses. Then things began to go wrong. Persecution increased, and Victorian collectors and taxidermists were eager for stuffed owls to put in glass cases. By the early twentieth century, people were already worried about falling numbers.

The decline picked up speed after the Second World War. Farming became more intense. Hedges were pulled out, old barns were converted into houses, rough meadows were ploughed or drained and farmland was sprayed with chemicals. Poisons such as the organochlorine pesticides worked their way up the food chain, and severe winters in 1947 and 1963 took a further toll. Owl numbers fell to a low point in the 1970s and 1980s.

Since then, the story has been more hopeful. Farmers, landowners and volunteers have put up thousands of nest boxes, planted hedges, created strips of rough grass and looked after old buildings. Conservation groups have built up a huge amount of knowledge about what the owls need. The result is a species that has recovered a good deal, though it is not out of the woods.

Ghosts and omens

A pale bird that glides silently out of the dark, screams in the night and lives in old ruins was always going to attract stories. In many places, people took its screech as an omen of bad luck or death, and country folk hurried indoors when they heard it. The bird's ghostly look earned it names such as ghost owl and white owl. Some folklore was gentler. In many places, owls were believed to protect the barns where they roosted, and people were glad to have them because they kept the mice down.

These days, most of us see a Barn Owl as a symbol of a healthy countryside, and finding one in your local field is more likely to make you smile than shiver. Even so, the old associations linger. There is a reason why so many people say they feel a little thrill of something otherworldly when a Barn Owl slips past in the dusk.

The law

In Britain, all wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the Barn Owl gets extra protection because it is listed on Schedule 1 of the Act. In simple terms, it is an offence to kill, injure or take a Barn Owl, or to take or destroy its eggs. It is also an offence to damage or destroy an active nest. And because of the Schedule 1 listing, it is an offence to disturb a Barn Owl at or near a nest that contains eggs or young, or to disturb its dependent young, whether you meant to or not. Penalties can include large fines and even a prison sentence.

What does disturbance mean in practice? It is anything that might cause an owl to leave its nest or change how it behaves, such as walking up to a nest, shining lights, playing recorded calls, using flash or making noise close by. The protection begins when the birds are nesting, and in practice it starts when the first egg is laid. It continues until the young are independent. Newly fledged owlets are protected wherever they are, even when they have left the nest.

Only licensed people can lawfully go near an active Barn Owl nest to inspect it. In England, licences are issued by Natural England, and other parts of the UK have their own agencies. Trained volunteers and researchers carry out nest checks and ringing under licence, and they follow strict rules to keep any disturbance to a minimum. If you have a nest box and want to know whether it is occupied, ask an experienced, licensed person, or use a camera that has been installed properly and outside the breeding season.

The rules on buildings and trees matter too. If you plan to convert a barn or fell a hollow tree and you think Barn Owls may use it, get advice from an ecologist first. In many cases the work can be timed, or a replacement roost or nest space can be provided, so that everyone comes out of the process happy.