Wildlife Welfare

Wild Barn Owl Population and Rodenticide Campaign

Campaigns to reduce second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide use are directly improving barn owl welfare by reducing the prevalence of sub-lethal and lethal poisoning in wild populations.

Key Facts

Over 80% of barn owls tested in UK surveillance studies contain second-generation rodenticides
Campaigns targeting rat control professionals have reduced professional rodenticide use
Stewardship schemes for amateur rodenticide use are achieving variable uptake
Barn owl nest box schemes succeed fully only where rodenticide exposure is low
Alternative rat control methods including trapping can replace rodenticide use in many settings

Welfare Considerations

The campaign to reduce rodenticide exposure in barn owls links policy change directly to individual welfare improvement. Each reduction in rodenticide use translates to reduced poisoning risk for individual owls. Campaign success is measurable through surveillance testing, nest productivity monitoring and population trends - providing evidence that the welfare intervention is working.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide availability
Use physical trapping rather than rodenticides for rat control on your property
Install barn owl nest boxes on agricultural land to support local populations