Barn Owl

Construction Difficulty

complex difficulty complex

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Nesting Range

Barn Owl Range
Source: Birds of the World

Nesting Habitat

  •  icon Desert
  •  icon Grassland
  •  icon Marsh
  •  icon Open Woodland

Attach Nest Box To

  • Building icon Building
  • Pole icon Pole
  • Post icon Post
  • Tree icon Tree

Known Nesting Period

Not Nesting
Some Nesting Occurrence
Nesting in Most of Range
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Source: Birds of the World

Nest Box Placement

Height Range From Ground

8ft
25ft
8–25 feet

Spacing Between Nest Boxes

100 feet

Facing

Entrance hole facing visualization
Any

Nest Box Measurements

Entrance Hole Size

Entrance hole size visualization 4 1/2

Nest Box Depth (inside)

Nest box depth visualization 16

Nest Box Width and Length

Nest box width and length visualization 12 3/8 22 3/4

Helpful Tips

  • Prefers open habitats, such as agricultural fields.
  • Barn Owls are very sensitive during the early phases of nesting (April–May) and will abandon a nest if disturbed.
  • Boxes can be placed in a variety of structures, including barns, silos, granaries, grain elevators, and church steeples, or mounted on a free-standing pole.
  • When siting your Barn Owl box, keep in mind that hungry owlets can be noisy when clamoring for food. Take care not to place the box too near your home, or they might keep you awake at night.
  • Clean out the old nest materials when the owls are not nesting; December is generally a good time.
  • It is not necessary to add any materials after cleaning; the owls will create their own nesting substrate from shredded pellets. However, you can add a layer of wood shavings about 3/4" deep to the box if you would like.
  • Avoid the use of rodenticides to control rodents, and allow the owls to help with pest control.