03/08/2016

Charity Urges Public To Listen Out For Snoring Barn Owls

A charity is urging people to listen out for snoring barn owls to help find owl chicks nesting nearby.

With less than 30 to 50 breeding pairs of barn owls in Northern Ireland and only three known nest sites, Ulster Wildlife is working with farmers and landowners to ensure barns owls have suitable space to hunt and places to nest, following support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Catherine Fegan, Barn Owl Officer with Ulster Wildlife, said: "At this time of year, hungry barn owl chicks are calling to their parents for food, a rasping sound often referred to as snoring.

"This call is exclusively associated with a nest site, and can be faint, but gets ever louder as the chicks grow and venture out of their nest. If you do hear 'snoring' or screeching sounds as you lie at night with your windows open it could indicate that a nest is nearby and we'd love to hear about it."

(CD)


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