Why the snow brings out ‘killing machines’ (From Burnley and Pendle Citizen)

Why the snow brings out ‘killing machines’

1:14pm Monday 9th March 2009 in Leisure By Ron Freethy

Over the period of the worst snowfall for many years many of my birdwatching friends have reported seeing more barn owls than is usual.

This is not surprising if you look at a few facts about the life of this very beautiful owl.

Firstly like all of our wildlife the barn owl comes under greater pressure to find food for obvious reasons. To keep up with its demand for food it hunts by day and by night and hence we see it on the wing more often.

Secondly the barn owl feeds by catching small mammals such as voles and mice on the ground. This is impossible when there is snow on the ground.

In the old days some farm barns were often delipitated but in any case farmers built in owl holes. They learnt that the best way to control rodent pests was to employ free of charge a cat with wings – which we call a barn owl.

These days we are obsessed with being neat and tidy and the idea of deliberately employing an owl is not an option and expensive poisons are used instead!

There is nothing like a barn owl if you make a list of nature’s most efficient killing machines. They carry their prey in their bills and then swallow it whole.

They kill, however, by applying great force to the feet and talons.

I knew of one friend who was an experienced bird ringer who had three fingers broken when trying to ring a young barn owl.

If they are threatened barn owls can produce a loud hissing which sounds like a Tom cat preparing for a fight.

Even if there is a reason why there have been so many sightings of barn owls in East Lancashire and in the Yorkshire Dales it is very exciting to see that they are still with us because they are a very threatened species.