Barn owls have been around for the last 26 million years. Because they do not have to see their prey to be successful, they are one of the most skillful rodent hunters in North America. Their dish shaped face in conjunction with their asymmetrical ears gives them the ability to triangulate on their prey like radar.
On average, a barn owl will eat 155 gophers per year. If there were 48 barn owls in an area, they would consume 7,440 gophers. A 1997-98 study in California showed that a barn owl's diet consists of 42% pocket gophers, 30% voles, 17% deer mice, 6% house mice, and 5% other prey.
At Orfila, we are happy to report that all six of our owl boxes have been inhabited. Each barn owl box provides a place for the barn owls to roost in the fall and a safe place to nest and raise a family of owlets (5-7 per box) in the spring. Annual cleaning of the box is the only maintenance involved. It is important to wear a dust mask while cleaning the box and to wash hands afterwards, but otherwise, the benefits of creating a friendly environment for these "super-hunters" far outweigh the effort required.
The IPM program is part of our efforts to support sustainable watershed management and be both good neighbors and good caretakers of the land.
