Barn owls are natural rodent controllers whose welfare is threatened by secondary poisoning from rodenticides. Protecting them requires changing pest control practices across agricultural landscapes.
Barn owl welfare is acutely threatened by rodenticide secondary poisoning. Owls that consume poisoned rodents accumulate anticoagulant compounds in their livers, causing a slow and painful death from internal hemorrhage. The welfare impact extends to dependent chicks who starve when parents die. Rodenticide restrictions that limit second-generation compounds to professional use and require enclosed bait stations reduce exposure risk, but enforcement is inconsistent. Nest box programs that provide breeding habitat while avoiding rodenticide use in surrounding areas have demonstrated that barn owl populations recover quickly when poisoning pressure is removed. Agricultural policies that support natural predator habitat benefit both owl welfare and farm pest management.