Barn owls facing uncertain future

The population has been declining since the 1930s

The future for barn owls looks extremely bleak following the worst breeding season for 20 years, according to a bird charity in Devon.

The Ashburton-based Barn Owl Trust has said the number of reported deaths and birds suffering injuries has tripled in the past year.

Efforts to turn around a decline in numbers had been going well and the trust said the figures were a blow.

It is hoped the downturn year could be linked to extreme weather conditions.

Pesticide danger

The trust said prolonged extreme weather conditions were bad news for barn owls.

Below-average temperatures in March may have reduced prey activity, resulting in a higher mortality rate in barn owls.

The owls were then subjected to above-average rainfall in May, which reduced hunting success.

David Ramsden, the head of conservation at the trust, said two out of three traditional breeding sites failed to produce any young this year.

He said: "This lack of nesting success, on top of the high mortality means a further reduction in the British population.

"The phenomenon is not limited to the South West as conservationists in other parts of the UK are reporting similar findings."

Nationally between 1932 and 1998 the barn owl population declined from over 12,000 pairs to less than 3,000.

The decline is also believed to be partly caused by the reduction of derelict old buildings and the use of pesticides.

Barn owls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.