THE PROBLEM

Recent decades have been marked by the unrelenting loss and deterioration of wild places and the wildlife which once lived in them. Sadly this situation is not improving. Due to the demands of the human population, pressures on land are both high and increasing. The British countryside is now much poorer in wildlife than it was just a few years ago.

All five British owl species have declined dramatically since the 1970’s.

The last survey of breeding bird populations in Britain and Ireland took place between 1988 – 1991* and revealed that Barn Owls alone have lost 43% of their breeding birds in the last 35 years.

However no owl species remains unaffected as these figures show:

*‘The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain & Ireland’. Poyser 1993.

REASONS FOR THE DECLINE

AGRICULTURE

Since the survey was completed, agricultural intensification has further reduced wildlife habitat on farmland and this picture is destined to become even worse. Amongst the worst sufferers are small mammals, and as their numbers have fallen, so have those of the owls which depend on them.

All five species of owl rely on small mammals for food. Two of them, the Barn Owl and Short-eared Owl are so dependent on Short-tailed Voles that if this animal disappears, so do they. The Little Owl needs large insects and earthworms to supplement its diet. Without them, this owl is also unlikely to survive in an area for very long. Like the owls, these prey species need the right habitat to survive.

LOSS OF NEST SITES

Barn Owls, Tawny Owls and Little Owls nest in holes and crevices in old trees and old buildings. For Health & Safety reasons, plus conversion to modern housing, such sites are disappearing. No nest sites means no breeding owls. No breeding owls means no new owlets to replace those that die each year.

CLIMATE CHANGE

No-one needs reminding that Britain’s climate is changing dramatically. Severe gales, flooding, droughts and rapid temperature changes are now considered normal. This is particularly serious for Barn Owls. Their plumage is very soft and not very waterproof, so in prolonged wet, windy weather, literally thousands die, especially young inexperienced birds in their first year. This type of weather also causes the vole population to shrink dramatically, and since the Barn Owl has very low body-fat reserves they can starve to death after just a few days without food. Such weather also kills off the insect food of Little Owls.

LOSS OF HABITAT

Nature Reserves are no longer enough to save Britain’s disappearing wildlife habitats. Decades of intense agriculture and development have left them as fragmented isolated ‘islands’ surrounded by an inhospitable landscape in which wildlife can no longer flourish. Even the few wild areas that are left are increasingly being lost to development.

Only by connecting protected areas together to enable animals, insects and plants to move freely between them can we hope to reverse the ever-increasing list of vanishing species – including owls.

WHY OWLS?

In the old days, miners used to take canaries down the mines with them to warn them of the presence of odourless poisonous gasses underground. When a canary suddenly keeled over, the miners knew they had to leave in a hurry. It was the similar deaths of countless wild birds in the 1960’s that led Rachel Carson to write her classic book ‘Silent Spring’. Now, wild birds are dying out all over the world. They are our canaries! They are telling us that something is once more going seriously wrong. We need to take notice if we are to avoid the fate of the miner’s canaries and wish to preserve our quality of life.

As top predators, owls are perfect indicators of significant changes in a food chain which consists of a wide variety of plants and animals. If owls begin to decline, then clearly something is happening in their ecosystem which could have serious consequences for humans too.

THE BIG IDEA

‘SAVE AN OWL FOR £1’ is a totally unique initiative by the WORLD OWL TRUST aimed at restoring Britain’s once glorious countryside.

Our aim is to encourage local communities of caring people to work together to restore lost habitats and provide safe nesting sites for owls in their own locality.

‘SAVE AN OWL FOR £1’ is not just about restoring rural countryside. While urban green spaces are often regarded as poor sites for nature conservation, many such areas in our towns and cities are not only very attractive, but can also be important havens for wildlife. Unfortunately, due to financial and manpower constraints, all too many are currently poorly managed and under-valued by Councils and local communities, not because they don’t care about them, but because they are unaware of the wealth of wildlife which call them home. The WORLD OWL TRUST is convinced that there is huge scope to improve such areas, not only for wildlife, but for local residents too.

‘SAVE AN OWL FOR £1’ aims to involve local communities in helping to improve – and enjoy – their own green spaces, not only to enhance the wildlife value of the sites, but to re-connect people of all ages with the natural world. This is particularly important for our children who are losing touch with living nature in the face of an increasingly electronic world. It is our hope that by improving such areas for wildlife by concentrating on owls, local residents will begin to take pride in their own green spaces, and by becoming personally involved, improve their own quality of life immeasurably. Conservation work is also a marvellously social activity where many a new friendship is forged.

We also believe that in the process of carrying out such work co-operatively with local communities, we are providing an invaluable educational resource for local schools, colleges and organizations. Guided walks, interpretation and training days will therefore play a big part in this initiative.

Our first objective is always to survey each site in order to determine which species the sites already support – and this is where local people can play a vital role. Once the surveys are completed, a Site Dossier will be compiled and an Action Plan will come into play in order to enhance the areas for both wildlife and people.

We are convinced that by involving local people we can help to alleviate the typical problems of fly tipping, burning and vandalism which so often blight such areas. Indeed, our research has demonstrated that local communities are often desperate to see their green spaces transformed into areas they can truly enjoy and take pride in. To this end we will encourage public access whenever this is feasible.

To make a donation to the Save An Owl for £1 appeal - click here