- Feb 22 8:16 pm
#84639
OWL posted this message with a photo of some of the deceased birds on Instagram today:
"We have been seeing many Barn Owls recently that are not doing very well. So far this year we have received around 43 barn owls into care and sadly many of them have not made it. Barn owls struggle more than other owl species in the winter when they are not able to find sufficient food, rodenticide use greatly affects them as poisoned rodents are easier to catch, and the owls sometimes breed any time there is a warm front and prey around, then if there is a cold snap they fail to thrive.
Here is a photo of one day when we had five barn owls that didn't make it.
Please share to educate about the detrimental effects of rat and mouse poison on predators. We also encourage farm owners to put up nesting boxes to provide shelter, we have boxes available at O.W.L."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ1ku31Dng2/
Pretty heartbreaking, I hope they recover from this huge loss in population this winter. They were threatened to begin with in their northern end of the range, so a loss like this is shattering.
Mel
"We have been seeing many Barn Owls recently that are not doing very well. So far this year we have received around 43 barn owls into care and sadly many of them have not made it. Barn owls struggle more than other owl species in the winter when they are not able to find sufficient food, rodenticide use greatly affects them as poisoned rodents are easier to catch, and the owls sometimes breed any time there is a warm front and prey around, then if there is a cold snap they fail to thrive.
Here is a photo of one day when we had five barn owls that didn't make it.
Please share to educate about the detrimental effects of rat and mouse poison on predators. We also encourage farm owners to put up nesting boxes to provide shelter, we have boxes available at O.W.L."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ1ku31Dng2/
Pretty heartbreaking, I hope they recover from this huge loss in population this winter. They were threatened to begin with in their northern end of the range, so a loss like this is shattering.
Mel
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/126805965@N03/
BC Rare Bird Alert: http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca
BC Rare Bird Alert: http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca