Barn Owl Trust

Winter is challenging for Barn Owls ❄️
One strategy they often use to conserve energy is to hunt from perches rather than on the wing. Learn all about their coping strategies here: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-fac...

Once chicks hatch, that range shrinks dramatically, often to just 2 hectares, as pairs stay closer to home. From wide-ranging wanderers to devoted parents in just a few short weeks ✨

Discover more about our wonderful Little Owls:
www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-fac...

Have you heard a Little Owl recently? 👂

At this time of year, males can be especially vocal as they establish territories ahead of the breeding season 🦉

In the UK, territories are at their largest just before breeding, sometimes covering nearly 40 hectares...

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We're here 😁 Lovely photos 🤩

In contrast, their underwings are almost completely white. A sudden flash of these pale wings in the darkness can startle prey just long enough.

👉 Barn Owl adaptations: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-fac...

🌾 Camouflage from above, moonlight from below 🌙
Perfectly balanced for hunting over fields at night.

From above, Barn Owls are warm buff, honeyed gold, softly freckled with ash-grey and charcoal, blending seamlessly into crops and rough grassland...

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Barn Owls in winter ❄️

On colder days, Barn Owls are more likely to hunt from fence posts and other perches, watching and listening from stillness. It’s a clever way to conserve energy and reduce heat loss in the icy air 💡

How Barn Owls survive the winter:
www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-fac...

This weekend, keep an eye out at dusk and join us in giving these incredible birds the admiration they deserve 🤍

Learn all about Barn Owls here:

www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-fac...

Young Barn owl facing towards the camera, standing on a steeply angled tree branch

🦉 It’s Superb Owl weekend! ✨

While others are cheering on their favourite teams at the Super Bowl, we’re celebrating one of nature’s true icons - the beautiful Barn Owl 🥰

With heart-shaped faces, extraordinary hearing, ghostly plumage, and silent flight, Barn Owls really are… superb! 👌

Discover how you can create a permanent space for Barn Owls inside a building: 🏠 www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-nes...

Have you seen a Barn Owl recently? 👀 Submit your record to our survey site: www.barnowlsurvey.org.uk 🙏

Hear about a journey through nature appreciation, research and protection from our Head of Conservation. This interview, from November, is hosted byBatAbility director Neil Middleton. Thank you Neil! 🙏
batability.podbean.com/e/talking-bi...

Unlike Barn Owls, Tawny Owls are primarily a woodland species!🌳 If you have trees nearby, you might be lucky and hear them calling at night 🤩

Would you like to build a Tawny Owl nestbox? www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-nes...

You can also buy them from us 👇 www.barnowltrust.org.uk/product/tawn...

Barn Owl courtship often begins in winter, with pairs starting to roost together at their nest site 🦉💚
Extra legal protection for Barn Owls only kicks in when they lay their first egg, but they are very sensitive to disturbance during this courtship period 🤫
www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owls-la...

Barn Owls originally evolved in a warmer, drier climate than we have in the UK, so the winters here are particularly challenging. Three big factors affecting winter survival are weather, prey abundance & coping strategies. ❄️🐁

Find out more & how you can help: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-fac...

Our cars have already been all over the place this winter! Here's a selection of photos of our BOT vehicles out in the field...

We are very proud of our all-electric fleet 🤩

www.barnowltrust.org.uk/about-the-ba...

We're all back in the office today! Our phone lines will be back on at 10am and we'll be answering emails before then. We hope you've all had a lovely break and a wonderful start to 2026! ✨ Fingers crossed for a good year for Barn Owls this year🤞

Support our work: barnowltrust.org.uk/support-us 💚

Wishing you all the best for 2026!🤞💚

Thank you so much for all your support through 2025 🥰🦉

www.barnowltrust.org.uk

Our office closes on Wednesday 24th December and reopens on Monday 5th January. For Barn Owl information and advice during this time, please visit barnowltrust.org.uk. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Visit our shop for some lovely Christmas gift ideas: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/shop 🎁
Place your order by midday on Monday the 15th of December to make sure it arrives before Christmas 🎄
Thank you so much for your support! 💚

We hope you've enjoyed our posts showcasing the breathtaking images from the 2026 Calendar 🤩
Every calendar sold directly helps protect these beautiful birds 🤍 At just £8, it’s a perfect Christmas gift or a lovely little treat for yourself: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/product/barn-owl-calendar-2026

😂😂😂😂😂

This gorgeous photo features as the December image of our new 2026 Calendar! ✨
This calendar is jam-packed full of amazing photos. This image was taken by Mark Harder (www.mlharderphoto.com). Thank you so much Mark! 😍
Grab your copy for just £8 + p&p!
🗓️ www.barnowltrust.org.uk/product/barn...

Events Diary - The Barn Owl Trust

Our next Winter Bird Walk is on Friday 9th January.
Keep an eye on our Events Diary for more upcoming walks: www.barnowltrust.org.uk/events-diary

The light was fabulous on our Winter Bird Walk this morning 🌈✨

We saw 24 species, with highlights including Marsh Tit, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, and large flocks of Chaffinch feeding on the winter bird food crop 🤩

Thank you to everyone in the group for a fantastic outing! 🙏

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If you have a nestbox with roosting or nesting Barn Owls, please do let us know by logging it onto our survey website here: www.barnowlsurvey.org.uk

The video shows the compacted layer of a nest site that was last used 18 months ago – see how trampled and compacted all the pellets have become from the brood of youngsters living in the nest.

If you have a nestbox with roosting or nesting Barn Owls, please do let us know by logging it onto our survey website here: www.barnowlsurvey.org.uk

If inspecting/maintaining/clearing out nestboxes this winter – do you know the difference between a roost debris and a nest debris?

This photo shows a classic roost debris layer – lots of loose formed pellets with a few feathers. Video of a nest site to follow...

This beautiful photo features as the November image of our new 2026 Calendar! ✨
This calendar is packed full of amazing photos! This image was taken by Simon Wantling (www.simonwantling.co.uk). Thank you so much Simon! 😍
Grab your copy for just £8 + p&p!
🗓️ www.barnowltrust.org.uk/product/barn...