Birds of Prey

Barn Owl Conservation and Rodenticide Risks

Barn owls face a silent threat from second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides that accumulate through the food chain, causing internal bleeding and death.

Key Facts

Barn owls eat 3 to 4 times their body weight in rodents each month
A single breeding pair can consume over 1,300 voles and mice per year
Studies show 90% or more of barn owls tested in some regions carry rodenticide residues
Second-generation rodenticides persist in rodent tissue for weeks, poisoning owls that eat them
Barn owl populations have declined by over 70% in parts of Europe since the 1930s

Welfare Considerations

Rodenticide poisoning causes prolonged suffering in barn owls, who experience internal hemorrhaging, weakness, and inability to hunt before death. The suffering may last days or weeks. Even sub-lethal doses impair coordination and hunting ability, causing slow starvation. This is a preventable welfare crisis driven by agricultural pest control practices that have cheaper, safer alternatives.

What You Can Do

Use rodent-proof storage and physical traps instead of rodenticides
Report dead owls to wildlife organizations for toxicology testing
Campaign for stricter regulation of second-generation rodenticides
Install barn owl nest boxes to support local populations