How to manage Land For Barn Owls
Farmers and landowners can balance agriculture and caring for Barn Owls.
Rough Grassland is vital for the survival of the barn Owls. The rough grassland creates a perfect environment for the prey of Barn Owl such as Field, Mice, voles. Rough Grassland is thick, matted and full of native grassland species. The most important part of rough grassland is a litter layer at least 7cm or 3 inches deep.
Why does it help the Owl's Prey
A litter layer provides Field Voles with cover they need for tunnels and nests. Field Voles, Shrews and Wood Mice make up 82% of what Barn Owls eat in the UK. With a good 70mm litter layer, rough grassland can contain up to 400 Field Voles per hectare! (A hectare is 100 metres x 100 metres).
Where is the best location for rough grassland?
You don't have to create hold fields of rough grassland. You can just use where there is space on your farm or land. If there is just small bits of land in between fields it will be good to create rough grassland out of them. If you are involved tree planting or your land you can use rough grassland for rides and firebreaks and boundary features. During the first few years of the trees growing, if you don't cut the grass you may notice rough grassland will form. If you have a large garden you can even have a patch of rough grassland. On farms, odd corners of land that are difficult to access by machine are often the best bits.
How are litter layers made?
Litter Layers are created by letting grass grow as tall as possible in the summer without getting cut. It will then collapse in the autumn and die causing there to be dead grass just above the soil layer. This is what the "Litter Layer" is. However is this is done for too long peridos of time the land can become wild and covered in brambles or scrub. The best way of reducing this is by having low density cattle, making sure the litter layer is not lost completely. If you cant use cattle the area can be topped to less than 130mm every other year. You could also cuts alternate strips every year. Each strip should be cut every 2 years