Wexford Barn Owl Project

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Wexford Barn Owl Project We are dedicated to increasing the number of wild Barn Owl in County Wexford. Background. The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is one of Ireland’s most iconic birds.

The ghostly white shape of this species in Western Europe is unmistakeable and they can usually be seen hunting at night or at twilight, although encounters with these beautiful birds are rare. Barn Owls are vocal and make a range of noises, but it is their ‘screeching’ call usually heard at the start of the breeding season, which can be heard over long distances and was thought to have given rise to the legend of the ‘Banshee’, a female spirit who foretold death by her screams. Fortunately the truth is less sinister and these graceful owls are actually our friends, hunting rodents and vermin that are unwelcome in farms and near food crops. Barn Owls under threat. Sadly Barn Owl numbers have plummeted in Ireland by over 50% in the last 25 years alone. Now ‘Red-listed’ as a species of conservation concern, Barn Owls are under threat. The reasons for this dramatic decline are numerous. Modern farming methods have resulted in the removal of hedgerows, more intensive farming; the loss of small scale tillage and the use of pesticides have greatly reduced the prey rich foraging habitat that the Owls need. The use of rodenticides on farms has resulted in the secondary exposure to these toxins, by the Owls which catch the poisoned rodents. Loss of safe nesting and roosting sites are also contributors to the decline as is the increase in major road networks, along which Barn Owls hunt. However, their hunting behaviour, low flight and poor peripheral vision make them extremely vulnerable to vehicle collisions and Irish motorways have witnessed countless Barn Owl fatalities. Birdwatch Ireland - Helping the Owls. For the last few years Birdwatch Ireland has been focusing on helping the Barn Owl. This centralised approach based on up to date research and appropriate scientific analysis has been coordinated by John Lusby and a national effort has been made in the form of research, education in the form of numerous publications – and the support by Birdwatch Ireland of numerous County initiatives. Together these operate under the auspices of the Barn Owl Monitoring Group. Members of this Group are highly trained ‘ringers’, licenced under an NPWS (section 32) licence to trap and ring Barn Owls. Ringing the Owls allows us to monitor the health, longevity and movements of the birds. The Wexford Barn Owl Project. The majority of Irelands Barn Owls are concentrated in the west of the Country and the species is stretched very thinly in Wexford. Of the 93 broods of Barn Owls ringed across Ireland in 2020, only one active nest site was visited in Wexford. There is an urgent need to help revive the population of Barn Owls within the County and the emphasis in the coming years is to purpose-build and erect Barn Owl nest boxes in the most suitable locations.

Welcome Joe O'Byrne and Caitriona Conroy to the Wexford Barn Owl Project after recent Barn Owl nesting box installations...
16/10/2026

Welcome Joe O'Byrne and Caitriona Conroy to the Wexford Barn Owl Project after recent Barn Owl nesting box installations in Kilmyshall & Kilcannon with Padraig & Simon. Next stop Carne & Tagoat on Monday weather permitting

Padraig & Simon busy installing 2x Exterior Barn Owl nesting boxes in Curracloe this morning. Welcome Iain Wichkam to th...
06/10/2026

Padraig & Simon busy installing 2x Exterior Barn Owl nesting boxes in Curracloe this morning. Welcome Iain Wichkam to the Wexford Barn Owl Project and fingers crossed for Barn Owl occupation in the future

25/09/2026
Recent batch of Barn Owl nesting boxes installed across Co.Wexford in Rathangan, Oilgate, Crossabeg, New Ross, Kilrane, ...
24/09/2026

Recent batch of Barn Owl nesting boxes installed across Co.Wexford in Rathangan, Oilgate, Crossabeg, New Ross, Kilrane, Blackwater & Bannow amoungest others.

Next stops Clongeen, Duncormick, Caim, Curracloe, Bunclody, Tagoat & Our Lady's Island

Another beautiful sighting of a Barn Owl hunting in Co.Wexford. It excites me every single time we are sent a video,text...
24/09/2026

Another beautiful sighting of a Barn Owl hunting in Co.Wexford. It excites me every single time we are sent a video,text, image of a Barn Owl in Co.Wexford and every single one of these extend the lasting legacy of our founder member , Mark Stanley who engineered everthing that The Wexford Barn Owl Project is today. We will not stop trying to conserve the Barn Owl in Co.Wexford

Nosey visitor keeping an eye on things inside a house at 1 of our many Barn Owl broods location in Co.Wexford NPWS Wexf...
21/09/2026

Nosey visitor keeping an eye on things inside a house at 1 of our many Barn Owl broods location in Co.Wexford NPWS Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

10/09/2026

Who doesn't love an owl? They are iconic birds, everyone recognises them, even if they can't tell the difference between Barn, Long-eared and Short-eared.
The Barn owl is a red listed species in Ireland, which underlines how important the work of the Wexford Barn Owl Project is in seeking to grow the numbers of these birds in the county.
If you want to find out more about the important work the group do, or you're interested in putting up a barn owl box, come along this Sunday to learn how we can all help in the conservation of these wonderful birds.

Across the country this year some broods of Barn Owls were very early so the fledged before we got a chance to ring them...
21/07/2026

Across the country this year some broods of Barn Owls were very early so the fledged before we got a chance to ring them .Its great to watch them fly as the next generation of owls in Wexford.
Some great news this year for the young owlets in Wexford. We were very lucky to have John Lusby down from on 3 different days . The first day was full on so we visited 10 nest in the the north and center of the county right down to the south. Where we had a total of 34 chicks ringed . He was accompanied by Myley and Colin .Then John came down and ringed 4 more nests a couple weeks later and checked a couple of more sights where he ringed a total of 13 . He was accompanied by Padraig for these in South Wexford.

Then we had a very special day where John again obliged us as we had a very special visitor Theresa Stanley our founder Marks wife was over for a visit . As coincidence the nest box that there son Tim put up with us the owlets were ready to be ringed. There was 3 owlets . Mark had a particular interest in this box and farm as the farmers Alan and Cheryl Poole were very active in other bird projects with Mark. We have roughly another 10 nesting boxes with chicks in them and we eagerly await ringing chicks in those boxes next year.

We would like to thank all the people that have helped us this year especially anyone that let us in on there land or in tbere gardens to ring owls . Its so nice to go back every year and watch everyone been so interested in their Barn Owls .

We would like to thank John Lusby who has above and beyond fpr the WBOP ringing chicks and helping and advising us a for us.
This year we have had exceptional help from our local rangers Rory o Hanlon and Padraig Webb .
We would also like to thank rescue who have taken in alot of injured owls and rehabilitated them back to be released in county Wexford .

We would also like to thank Padraig for his exceptional hard work at installing both interior and exterior boxes in Co.Wexford this year . He has put up 200 so far and has 20 more orders after a successful day at the Bannow Rathangan show.
Thanks Colin Myley Padraig and Derek

We are here at the 75th Bannow Rathangan Show in Killag, Co.Wexford in the Biodiversity & Sustainability village Row L.....
09/07/2026

We are here at the 75th Bannow Rathangan Show in Killag, Co.Wexford in the Biodiversity & Sustainability village Row L..Stop by and say hello and Padraig will answer all things Barn Owl

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