Frequently Asked Questions

Frequenty Asked Questions.
Q1) What Type of owls do we have?
	A1) What noise do they make?
		A Screech noise like in the horror movies is a Barn Owl
		Adult Barn owl		Barn Owlet
		A Twit Twoo Noise is a Tawny Owl
		Tawny Male		Tawny Female
		A sound like a small dog yapping is a Little Owl
		Adult Little Owl

	A2) What colour are they?
		A White Breast is a barn Owl

			Barn owl	Little Owl	Tawny Owl
		A brown mottled effect is a Tawny Owl or Little Owl

	A3) What size are they?
		A Barn Owl is about 30cms tall with a wing span of 1M
		A Tawny Owl is about 25cms tall with a wing span of 75cms
		A Little owl is about17.5cms tall with a wing span of 30cms

Q2) What type of owls could we expect in our area?

		If you have open meadows and fields you are likely to attract Barn Owls
		If you have wooded areas the Tawny Owl is more likely
		If you have a lot of hedgerows the Little Owl is more common.

Q3) How high should we place our nest box and what is the best direction for it?

		Boxes must be out of the reach of people the Barn and Tawny as high as possible at least 3M high the Little owl box should at least 2 M high not exceeding 4M
		The most important thing is that the box must not be in direct sunlight or in an area where a sun trap is located as the box must not get over heated when in use.
		The tawny box can be located in a wooded area as the tawny will going into wooded areas willingly
		The Barn Owl box should be located facing an open area This can also be placed within a barn if so desired.
		The Little Owl box can be located in any suitable place as long as it will not be disturbed to much by people.
		The boxes can be North facing if necessary as the birds can take extreme cold weather but suffer from the heat.

Q4) How do we know if the box is being used.

		You will often see white droppings down the side of the box looking like Tipp-Ex also you may find pellets under the box
		If there is any sign that the box is being used do not disturb as the bird will abandon any young also It is illegal to disturb nesting birds unless licensed.

Q5) How do we encourage owls into our area

		The Barn Owl needs meadow land with large vole population as this is their staple diet.
		Water troughs should have a means of escape for the birds such as sacking left over the edge or a floating object for the bird to climb on. As a lot of Barn Owls drown after taking a bath in a unprotected water trough.
		The Tawny Owl is very common through out the country as it has a varied diet.
		You can not really provide food for Owls as they prefer fresh food.

Q6) What colour of box do the owls prefer?

		The owls do not mind what colour the box is as long as it is not disturbed
		The colours are there for your own personal choice
		The Golden Brown could blend in to a stone building if necessary
		The Red Cedar could blend in with a brick building
		The Forest Green or Dark Brown is the most requested colours as these blend into the surrounding countryside.
		The Deluxe Barn Owl Box was designed to go on New Barn Conversion buildings or in a prominent area where you would like the box to look attractive.

Any other questions please e-mail or phone us on Robin@theowlbox.co.uk or 01248 421091

We Now Accept: by Telephone 01248 421091