Ask the Conservation Officer (CO)

by Gary Hompland, Regional Conservation Officer Question: "I saw a nest of barn owls destroyed in a haystack at a dairy. The hay was being fed out when the nest was torn apart and the young owls exposed. If I encounter another barn owl nest in a haystack what should I do with the baby owls?" Answer: Barn owls are one of those owl species worth "their weight in gold" to the agricultural community. Anyone that has seen a barn owl nest in a haystack knows they are literally lined with the carcasses of dead mice. The adult owls and their young consume enormous quantities of rodents that are pests for farmers. I encourage all farmers and dairymen to do what they can to accommodate barn owls and their young. Many times when a haystack is being fed out, the nest will be destroyed. The young owls are rarely killed and the dairyman is often able to carefully move the young away from the haystack. If the dairyman can make a small cubby or A-frame of bales to get them off the ground a short distance from the haystack the adults will continue tending or raising the young. Once the young have fledged and left the area, the bales can be picked up. Biologists in the Magic Valley region are experimenting with nesting platform designs that could be used by landowners when relocating young barn owls. We also often see several small downy great horned owls brought into the office in the spring. These young owls are often blown out of nests during spring wind storms. There is also tremendous sibling rivalry between young great horned owls in the nest. Since the eggs are not all laid at one time but in sequence, it's common for the first born to be the largest and get the most food. While competing for food, the largest young also frequently pushes its sibling competitors out of the nest. As in the barn owl example, the parents will continue to care for the young owls even if they are out of the nest. I recommend trying to put these young owls back into the nest tree as high off the ground as possible. If that's not possible, the parents will tend them in a nearby tree as well. Our ultimate goal with all these young owls is to help keep them wild and give them a chance as young adults. As with our own children, no one can raise and teach them as well as their own parents. If you have any further questions you may call the Magic Valley Regional Office of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at (208)324-4350 or e-mail us at the Fish and Game web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.