RESEARCH – ecology & biodiversity
Barn Owl Research
Where do Barn Owls live in Massachusetts?
Although there are records from Cape Cod, most of the Barn Owl population for Massachusetts is found on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Most Nantucket Barn Owls are year round residents on Nantucket, with little emigration from or immigration to the island. We have only one record of a Barn Owl immigrating to Nantucket, a bird from Rhode Island
How many Barn Owls are there?
The population can vary considerably but is usually around 10 to 20 pairs in recent years, as checked with our MMA Barn Owl Nest Box Program. The Barn Owl is a cosmopolitan species bounded by cold winters and deep snow. Barn Owls on Nantucket are at the northern limit of their range.
During the severe winters of 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 the owl population in Nantucket crashed from about 20 nesting pairs to 1 known individual owl. In 2005 only 1 nesting pair was known. The pair produced 5 young that year. The population steadily grew after then but did fluctuate downward when winters were harsh.
In 2010, there were about 40 nest boxes on Nantucket. Some of the original boxes are gone but we have added an additional 37 boxes since then, with more being added every few months. Number of young per nesting can vary significantly, depending on availability of food and weather conditions. The maximum number of young that we have found on Nantucket was 8, but the average lies somewhere between 3 and 5.
Check out the most recent Barn Owl survey (fall 2022) here.
A special thank you to our Barn Owl business partner:
How do we band Barn Owls?
To band barn owls, we use a ladder to access the elevated nesting boxes. The adults often roost outside the box, especially as the chicks get older, but sometimes we are able to catch them and collect important recapture and measurement data. There can be up to eight young owls in a box. We check the boxes after the babies hatch, but before they can fly. We measure the young and then loosely attach an aluminum band to their leg. This lightweight band has a unique number and will be with the bird its entire life.
Other interesting facts about Barn Owls:
A family of 5 nearly grown young and their parents will consume between 10 to 20 mice a night. So they are very effective in controlling rodent populations within their home range and thus can contribute to reducing the incidence of Lyme Disease on Nantucket.
Interested in joining the Barn Owl Box Program or supporting this work?
Read more about our
Sponsorship Program and contact our Senior Research Fellow, Bob Kennedy at
osprey02554@yahoo.com for more information.