The State of the UK Barn Owl Population 2018 report has just been published and distributed by email to all our UK conservation contacts. The results are based on the checking of 7,190 potential nest sites by 37 independent Barn Owl projects, and ringing groups. The number of contributing groups has grown from 28 in 2013 to 37 in 2018 and we take this opportunity to send a huge thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to gather the data.
So, how did Barn Owls fare in 2018? Looking at all projects combined, the proportion of sites checked where nesting actually took place was 13% lower than the average of all previous years. The average number of owlets-per-brood was also down, this time by 4.2%. Many contributors flagged up climatic factors as the possible cause of their disappointing results. We invite you to take a look at this extensive overview of 2018 and find out how the population fared near you.