Barn Owl in the Snow: Buster Fights to Find Food at −8°C

Winter can be a real battle for barn owls, and this was one of the hardest weeks I've seen. It had been snowing for days, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 8. For Buster, that meant almost nothing to eat.

The voles had all tucked themselves away in their hidden shelters under the snow, and without food, Buster's body weight was dropping fast. He needed some luck.

▶ Buster the Barn Owl Hasn't Eaten for Days, but the Snow Won't Beat Him

Press play when you're ready, and watch right to the end. You can also watch it on YouTube.

Hunting in daylight

Barn owls are creatures of the night. Apart from when they're feeding a nest full of hungry owlets, it's unusual to see them out hunting during the day. So when I spotted Buster outside in broad daylight, I knew how desperate he was for food.

Will the weather break and give Buster a fighting chance to hunt? Press play and see.

Why snow is so tough for barn owls

• The voles disappear. Field voles carry on living under the snow, in little tunnels and shelters where barn owls can't reach them. A thin covering is fine, but deep snow hides almost everything.
• The cold burns energy. Keeping warm in freezing temperatures uses up a lot of energy, at exactly the time when food is hardest to find.
• They have little in reserve. Barn owls don't carry much body fat, so a few days without food really takes its toll. Long cold, snowy spells are one of the biggest dangers they face.

You can read more about how barn owls get through the colder months in my guide to barn owl hunting.

Buster and Bella's home

At the time, Buster and Bella had moved into a nest box I made from an old whisky barrel and fitted with 4K CCTV cameras, so I could share these beautiful barn owls with you live and online. You can tell Buster apart by the ring on his right leg.

What to look out for

• The snow. See how deep it is, and imagine trying to hear a vole underneath it.
• Buster in daylight. A sign of just how hungry he was.
• The ring. Check his right leg, and you'll know it's Buster.

More of Buster's story

• 💕 Buster and Bella on one of their first dates
• 🌧️ Buster hunts after the rain to feed Bella on her eggs
• 🐦 Barn owl vs baby stock dove
• 🐭 Find out what barn owls eat
• 🦉 See how Buster is doing today on the live barn owl camera

Questions people ask

How do barn owls survive snow?

With difficulty. Voles hide under the snow where barn owls cannot reach them, so long snowy spells are one of the biggest dangers barn owls face.

Why is a barn owl hunting in the daytime?

Barn owls usually hunt at dusk and through the night. Seeing one hunting in daylight, outside the time it is feeding owlets, often means it is very hungry.

How long can a barn owl go without food?

Not long. Barn owls carry very little fat, so a few days without food in cold weather can quickly become serious.

How can you identify Buster the barn owl?

Buster has a ring on his right leg, which makes him easy to tell apart on the cameras.

Thanks for watching,
Paul 🦉