The little owl is a Victorian introduction that has become a familiar and cherished part of the British countryside, but its population has declined as the pastoral farming landscapes and stone walls it depends on have changed.
Little owl welfare has deteriorated as the permanent pasture and rough grassland that supports earthworm and beetle prey has been converted to silage and arable. Loss of old orchard and hedge trees removes nest sites. The intensification of grassland management eliminates the surface invertebrates that form the bulk of the diet. Research by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has identified specific management prescriptions that can reverse local declines.