Across my local fields, after dark, I have heard a loud screech. A welcome sound from the barn owl calling for a mate, declaring its territory or warning off other birds. This eerie screech has spawned many superstitions over time, especially when heard in old churchyards, another favorite haunt of these otherwise silent birds.
Lucky are those who can boast a closer relationship with them.
Barn owls always nest high up in tree hollows or old, cracked and holed buildings. Because these nest sites are at risk of becoming scarce due to modern building methods which quite rightly give rise to less leaky and more energy efficient builds, the bird itself is in danger of becoming just as rare. Modern farming methods also create problems. Owl nest boxes and habitat improvement stem this trend. This leaves the barn owl populations stable at the moment in the UK
Hopefully we can still enjoy the sight of the barn owl flying in silence over the meadows and rough grassland where it will glide low then turn, plunging earthward to grab its prey, often field voles or field mice.
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