Louth Barn Owl Project

20/03/2026

What an absolute privilege to share a space with such passionate and dedicated wildlife rehabilitators.

There was something truly special in that room — a deep respect for one another, a willingness to support, and a shared commitment that felt both powerful and inspiring. It’s rare to witness such genuine collaboration, where every voice, every idea, and every ounce of experience is valued.

The room was filled with energy, compassion, and hope for the future of Irish Wildlife Rehabilitation.

09/01/2026

Amazing opportunity for our Co Louth followers if anyone is interested/eligible.
Creating more space and habitats for nature is always a positive start in all of our quests to help wildlife.

If you are a funding body, a corporate group, a local authority or an organisation interested in supporting this initiative please contact us at [email protected]

12/10/2025

From Day One of Louth Barn Owl Project, John Carraig from The Barn Owl Project has been so supportive and encouraging to us. We cannot thank him enough for all he has done for our wee group.

The barn owl may be the star of the small screen, but off screen the endangered species is vanishing from our fields and fighting for survival.

20/07/2025

Hey folks,

We are delighted to share some wonderful photos with you all of the owlets we had ringed recently. Yes, owlets! 🥰 We were just thrilled to see some Louth Barn owlets from one of our nest boxes up close and personal.

As part of our project work, we monitor known nest sites over the long nesting period, but we do not get to actually see the owlets until they fledge. By that time they very much look like their parents, with their behaviour distinguishing them from the adults. So to see them like "white fluffy clouds" was just awesome.

As the owlets were carefully removed from the box, we got a lovely surprise. There were 3 of them 😮. We thought there was only 2 🫣. There were 2 males and 1 female. Little beauties they are, and all very healthy and good weights. We had calculated their ages pretty much spot on with the youngest being 28 days and the oldest 35 days old.

The first Barn owls ringed in Co Louth that we know off.

We cannot wait to see them again when they are about 8 weeks old and are big enough to come out of the nest box themselves for a look at the world around them. We will be watching from a safe distance and egging them on.

Thanks so much to Alan McCarthy from BWI who ringed them for us under licence from NPWS. Also thank you to our NPWS conservation ranger for permission. And also a big thank you to the landowner for allowing us to do this.

A very special day for all of us involved 🦉🦉🦉.

*** Photographs are copyrighted. Please do not use without permission ***

16/07/2025

Hello folks.
We go on and on about things we can do to help the Barn owls in Co. Louth. One of them is providing rough grassland habitation.

Rough grassland is not a patch of reeds or brambles or a meadow field that is soon to be cut for hay. It is where dead grass itself forms a layer underneath the new growth. The previous years grass is left insitu to die down and form a litter layer. It is here that small mammals and many insects benefit from the protection this kind of habitat provides.

One of the Barn Owls adaptations is that it has remarkably long legs. This enables it to catch its prey through the rough grass.

Now, we understand that not everyone is able to provide a large area of rough grassland. However, even to leave small patches of uncultivated areas, about 2-6 meters out from hedgerows, or in areas thats not accessible for machinery, is something. It will help all sorts of wildlife and Barn owls will use these to hunt in. Attached are a few pictures of ideal hunting habitat.

See link in comments for more information.

04/06/2025

We are busy getting prepared for our annual visit to the amazing Dundalk Agricultural Show on Sunday, the 8th of June.

This is such a fantastic day out for all the family.

Loads to see and do. We hope to get the chance to chat with some of you there.

Please share.

02/06/2025

*SOUND ON*

The highs and lows of monitoring known Barn Owl nests sites in Co Louth.

This historic site has been a successful breeding place for Barn Owls for years. Each year, on average, 3 owlets have fledged.

Earlier this season, all seemed well. The female was on the nest, the male tenderly bringing food in for her.

But on our last visit, it looks like, unfortunately, something has happened to the female.

What you're hearing is something that we witnessed at a different nest site last year.

It's the heartbreaking sound of the male, continuously calling out for his mate. Barn owls are site fateful, and it can go on for weeks. It is a sound that just brings sorrow to our ears and hearts.

It's hard to be optimistic with numbers so low in Co Louth, but we continue to cross our fingers that he will be successful in attracting a new mate 💔🦉

18/05/2025

Can you identify this little bird that came in for rehab?

09/05/2025

A new pair of Co Louth Barn owls have found one of our boxes and decided to nest in it 😊.
We are so honoured to have provided them with a safe nesting place and so grateful to the landowners who allowed us to hang one of our nest boxes.
Fingers crossed this pair are successful in raising their young 🙏.
The female is incubating their eggs and the male is busy providing food.
What a privilege and a joy to monitor them from a safe distance under licence from NPWS.

04/03/2025

Hey guys, have you heard there's a new Louth Bat group being set up 🦇?

These little ones are sometimes misunderstood and feared. But, thankfully, they are also adored and respected.

This male leisler bat was found inside a school in Dundalk. He was probably there throughout the mid-term, unable to find any food or escape. He was so very emaciated and weak on admission. He also had some sort of oily residue on his fur. Imagine how frightened he must have been 😔.

But a kind teacher reassured the students, carefully picked him up with a soft cloth, placed him in a warm, secure box, and reached out for help.
He is making a great recovery. Not that keen on his test flights yet, but we will be patient with him. He has had a tough time of late. For now, he's enjoying his B&B, and we'll get him back home when he's ready. (Admitted and rehabilitated under licence from NPWS)

If you would like to know more and get involved with the Louth Bat Group, email Co Louth's biodiversity officer, [email protected]

Thank you, Anna, from Kildare Bat Group, who is kindly guiding this new group to find their feet with her advice, dedication to bats, and expertise.

Recommend sound on for the video ... it is very sweet ❤️

25/02/2025

Apologies for the lack of posts at the moment. We are busy in the background preparing for another season and caring for wildlife that requires rehabilitation.

We got a report in of a beautiful Louth Barn Owl that was found dead at a roost site. It weighed only 248g and had no obvious signs of injuries. An adult male this time.

We are waiting to get the toxicology reports back. When there is an underweight adult, not found near a busy road with no obvious injuries, there are a lot of questions we ask ourselves.

Is it that he just couldn't hunt due to a prolonged spell of bad weather?

Is it that there wasn't sufficient food in the area?

Is it that he died from secondary poisoning?

Was he an old Barn Owl, and it was his time?

Many thanks to our conservation ranger from NPWS for facilitating the toxicology exam. We await for the results with bated breath