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EnglishWhat Hazards Affect Barn Owls and What Solutions Does the Barn Owl Trust Suggest?
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The Barn Owl Trust identifies hazards to Barn Owls and publishes solutions alongside its conservation and research work. Its website has a dedicated "Hazards and Solutions" section, which is the most direct place to learn what threatens Barn Owls and what can be done about it. The Trust is a small UK charity focused on conserving Barn Owls and their environment, so its guidance is aimed at practical action in the UK.
Where to Find the Trust's Hazard Guidance
The Trust's site organises the topic under Hazards and Solutions, described as covering "the different hazards that affect Barn Owls and what can be done." This sits alongside related sections that address risk in specific situations:
- Owl Care — what to do if you find an injured wild owl
- Nestboxes — where to site a box, how to build one, and maintenance
- Habitat — how to manage land for Barn Owls, including roosting and nesting places
- Barn Owls — facts, adaptations, UK population, and how to encourage them
- Research — the Trust's research projects
If your question is about a specific hazard, the Hazards and Solutions section is the starting point; if it is about an injured bird, Owl Care is the relevant section.
The Categories of Hazard the Trust Covers
The Trust's own summary groups its work around conserving the Barn Owl and its environment, and its hazard content is framed as "hazards and solutions" rather than a single list. The related sections point to the main risk areas:
| Area | What the Trust addresses |
|---|---|
| Roads and traffic | Covered within Hazards and Solutions |
| Rodenticides | Covered within Hazards and Solutions |
| Loss of habitat | Covered under Habitat and Hazards and Solutions |
| Nesting and roosting sites | Covered under Nestboxes and Habitat |
| Injured or grounded owls | Covered under Owl Care |
The Trust does not present these as isolated problems — the framing is that hazards affect Barn Owls and that each has a corresponding solution.
Practical Solutions the Trust Points To
The Trust's site maps solutions to the same categories:
- Habitat management — managing land for Barn Owls, and providing roosting and nesting places
- Nestboxes — siting, building, maintaining, or buying a pre-made box
- Owl Care — identifying the owl species, checking for injuries or illness, deciding what to do next, and getting help
- Recording sightings — reporting nests, roost sites, and sightings (dead or alive) anywhere in the UK through the Trust's confidential survey website
For anyone managing land, the Habitat and Nestboxes sections are the actionable ones. For anyone who finds a bird, Owl Care is the actionable one.
How the Trust Addresses Hazards Through Conservation and Research
The Trust describes itself as "a small UK charity working very hard to conserve one of the most beautiful birds on Earth," and says it works through educational resources, conservation initiatives, and research. Its research projects are published under Research, and its conservation messaging is that safeguarding owls means safeguarding "their habitat, and the vast array of species they share it with."
It also runs professional training that touches on hazard-related work:
- Barn Owl Ecology, Surveys and Signs (BOESS) — a foundation course covering ecology, legislation, surveying, and basic mitigation
- BOESS Add-on Practical — an in-person course at the Trust in South Devon including a survey of an active Barn Owl site
- Advanced Barn Owl Surveying and Mitigation (ABOSM) — an advanced course covering surveying, mitigation, and report preparation
The word "mitigation" in these course titles is the clearest signal that the Trust treats hazard reduction as a professional skill, not just a public-information topic.
Ways the Public Can Help Mitigate Risks
The Trust lists several routes for public involvement:
- Report sightings — all Barn Owl nests, roost sites, and sightings (dead or alive) anywhere in the UK, via the Trust's confidential survey website
- Find local help — use the Trust's directory to find your nearest Barn Owl Group, Owl Rescue Centre, or Professional Surveyor
- Get involved — the site's "Get involved" and "Support Us" sections list ways to contribute
- Learn and share — educational resources, talks for school/youth and adult groups, and "Kid's Stuff" with crafts, facts, and lesson ideas
Reporting is the lowest-effort action with a direct conservation purpose: the Trust uses records to understand where Barn Owls are and what is happening to them.
A Note on Events and Access
The Trust's homepage advertises an Autumn Colours Walk on Wednesday 28th October 2026 at 2.30pm, with booking through the site, and a shop offering eco items, earth-friendly gifts, publications, and clothing. The homepage includes a "Donate now!" prompt. No pricing for courses, membership, or shop items is stated on the page, so check the relevant section of the site for current details.