Readers of this blog will recall several posts involving instances of Barn Owls being struck by vehicles on major roads (see HERE and HERE, for example).
Continuing with our project to discover the effects of major roads on Barn Owl populations (in conjunction with T.I.I.), in July 2017 we tracked a female Barn Owl whose home range included the Tralee Bypass (see a history of this nest site HERE). While we long suspected that the adult Barn Owls from this site might well be hunting along the Bypass, the findings from the GPS data loggers were astonishing... Over 11 nights, she hunted along the verges of the Bypass nine times, and crossed the road 14 times. She also frequently perched along the verges, spending around two hours close to the road. The dangers to the bird are obvious and yet, she and her partner managed to raise two chicks this summer.
You can click on the 'four arrows' symbol on the bottom right to see a full-screen view.
You can click on the 'four arrows' symbol on the bottom right to see a full-screen view.
Barn Owl tracking of a female Barn Owl near the Tralee Bypass, July 2017 (J.Lusby/M.O'Clery, under licence from NPWS and BTO).
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More on this project soon.
