Barn owls make comeback in Britain

LONDON, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Barn owls in England are recovering from decades of decline thanks to wildlife-friendly farming, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says.

The RSPB confirmed the birds are making a comeback after years of decline caused by the intensification of agriculture, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

Owls lost their roosting and nesting spots as many farmers closed off their barns because of strict health and safety rules over the storage of food and the fear of theft.

Many old barns were converted into homes, closing up holes where owls had long nested.

The food supply for the owls, mainly mice and voles, also declined as farmers plowed up grassy fields, where the rodents lived, to plant more crops.

But the population of barn owls now totals about 5,000 breeding pairs, the RSPB said.

Farmers were encouraged to put up nest boxes and leave some land fallow to encourage wildlife.

The recovery of the barn owl, as a top predator, reflects the health of the whole ecosystem, conservationists said.

"Making sure you have barn owls means making sure you have everything else down the food chain, from plants, insects, songbirds and mammals," said Tim Nevard of Conservation Grade, a non-profit group that helps farmers manage the land in a more environmentally friendly way.