A Lapful of Owls!

We installed three barn owl boxes at the farm, hoping to attract mated pairs of these raptors to help keep the rodent population in balance. Adult barn owls do not actually live in these boxes; they lay and hatch their eggs in them and then visit the chicks every night to feed them and eventually teach them to fly and hunt.

One day I looked up at the box and noticed from 30 feet, the shape of an ear at the opening—a raccoon ear! Raccoons will eat baby barn owls… We hastily set up a ladder and looked into the box: Sure enough, in one corner an adolescent raccoon snoozing away, opposite five baby owls! We removed the babies—all beaks and claws; then called Wildlife Rescue to help us with the raccoon because it could hurt itself jumping from the box… At the ready, we sprayed him lightly with a hose, and he jumped out, landed unhurt, and trotted briskly away.

We then set to making the barn owl boxes predator—proof!

• How do you think we did this?

• Where do you think the adult barn owls live during the day?

Arnulfo with the largest baby.