Barn owl breeding success for third year in a row on Co Down farm

A Co Down farmer is celebrating after one of Northern Ireland’s rarest birds successfully bred on his land for the third year in a row.

Barn owl numbers are down to fewer than 30 breeding pairs in the region.

Work to support them on the Kelly family farm in Ballyalton paid off for the third year, offering hope to conservationists – but it has been emphasised that investment is essential to ensure further success.

One of last year’s barn owl chicks being ringed under licence at the Kelly family farm in Ballyalton, Co Down (Ulster Wildlife/PA)PA Media - Ulster Wildlife

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affair (Daera) has been urged to prioritise the new Farming with Nature scheme as a matter of urgency to ensure farmland species are not lost forever.

While the distinctive barn owl was once a common sight, and welcomed by farmers to their help with pest control, the loss of rough grassland, thick hedgerows, and old trees for nesting saw their numbers have plummet.

The Kelly family has been working with local conservation charities Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI for many years to bring nature back.

From planting winter bird cover to feed birds and mammals, and maintaining thick hedgerows for nesting, to creating pollinator margins and species-rich meadows to boost insects, every corner of the farm has been managed with nature in mind.

Ten barn owl nest boxes have also been erected across the farm by Ulster Wildlife to provide much-needed nesting sites.

Jack and Adam Kelly standing next to the nest boxes installed by Ulster Wildlife on their farm (Ulster Wildlife/PA)PA Media - Ulster Wildlife

Their first success came in 2023 when they welcomed their first breeding pair.

The owls have since returned every year, raising three chicks in the nest boxes installed.

Adam Kelly said they were delighted to see barn owls breeding for the third year in a row.

“We are very fortunate to have barn owls on our farm all year long,” he said.

“It gives us a great sense of achievement and proves that what we are doing on the farm is working.

“As we are a cereal farm, it means there is plenty of feed for mice and rats, which in turn provides prey for barn owls and other birds of prey.

“Seeing barn owls breed here for three years running is the ultimate reward for farming with nature.”

The Kelly farm is part of the County Down Farmland Bird Initiative, a group project within the Environmental Farming Scheme, facilitated by RSPB NI.

Adam and Jack Kelly, who, alongside Katy Bell from Ulster Wildlife, are ringing this year’s barn owl chick at their nature-friendly farm in Ballyalton (Ulster Wildlife/PA)PA Media - Ulster Wildlife

Agri-environment schemes, such as this, support farmers to create and maintain vital habitats for wildlife and have been crucial to the Kellys’ success.

But with a new Farming with Nature scheme still under development, and no current support available to farmers, conservationists have warned that continued investment is essential.

Katy Bell, senior conservation officer with Ulster Wildlife, urged Daera to prioritise the scheme.

“Nature is in trouble across Northern Ireland, with one in nine species at risk of extinction, but farmers can be part of the solution,” she said.

“The Kelly family farm is proof that farming and wildlife can thrive together and shows what’s possible when farmers are supported to work with nature through agri-environment schemes.

“We urge Daera to prioritise the new Farming with Nature scheme as a matter of urgency to ensure iconic farmland species, like the barn owl, are not lost from our landscape forever.”

Michelle Duggan, conservation officer with RSPB NI, added: “We are absolutely delighted that these magnificent barn owls have decided to make the Kellys’ farm their home to raise their young again.

“The farm’s seed-rich habitats provide an essential winter food source for farmland birds like the endangered yellowhammer, while also offering ideal territory for barn owls to hunt for small mammal prey.

“The rough grass margins and impressive hedgerows enhance the barn owl hunting territory even further.

“This farm shows that nature-friendly farming works when farmers have the right tools and support.

“That’s why we want to see investment in this and for Daera to prioritise the development and delivery of the new Farming with Nature Package.”

If you have land suitable for barn owls and would like advice on how to create wildlife-friendly habitats, visit ulsterwildlife.org/barn-owls to download the Land Management Guidance for Barn Owls leaflet.

If you have seen a barn owl or would like to discuss measures you can put in place to help them, contact Ulster Wildlife at barnowls@ulsterwildlife.org.