Barn owls are iconic British birds whose welfare is closely tied to the availability of rough grassland for hunting and nest sites in old farm buildings, both of which have declined severely.
Barn owl welfare is directly linked to the management of the wider farmed landscape. The loss of rough grassland containing the field voles and shrews that form their diet has reduced food availability, causing breeding failure and winter starvation. Cold, wet winters with deep snow cover prevent hunting and cause rapid mortality in these lightweight birds with limited fat reserves. Rodenticide use by farmers targeting rats passes anticoagulants up the food chain to barn owls that eat poisoned rodents. Barn conversions remove irreplaceable nest sites. Nest box provision by sympathetic landowners and farmers directly improves welfare by providing secure breeding sites in landscapes where natural cavities have been lost.