Five places to see barn owls

Are barn owls a rare sight? Maybe not if you look in the right places. Our expert ecologists have unveiled the best spots to see barn owls along our canals and rivers.

A barn owl pokes its heart-shaped head out of a crevice in a stone building.

In Yorkshire, the Aire & Calder Navigation has undergone a 30-year-long project to provide barn owls with nest boxes and rough grassland, where these predators might feast on shrews, voles, and mice. Since 1998, the Aire & Calder nest boxes have fledged over 180 young barn owls.

2. Gloucester & Sharpness Canal

In the southwest, you might see barn owls along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Particular hotspots with habitats for owls include Purton, Sandfield Meadow (Frampton-on-Severn), and Rea Meadow. At dusk, look out for the magnificence of the barn owl’s pale shape looming out of the darkness.

3. Bridgwater & Taunton Canal

The Bridgwater & Taunton Canal, a largely rural waterway, has good habitats for barn owls. Head to the Standards Lock picnic area and listen for their distinctive screech as they hunt for prey.

Barn owl with distinctive white, heart-shaped face looks directly at the camera while perching in a tree hollow.

Learn about canal habitats

Barn owls and other wildlife thrive on our canals, which act like highways to hunt and shelter along

4. Rufford and Burscough

In the northwest, the top locks on the Rufford Branch and Burscough, past the Leeds & Liverpool Canal junction, are rich with wildlife. The nearby Martin Mere Wetland Centre is a wetland nature reserve where you might spot wildfowl, dippers, wagtails, and barn owls.

5. Lancaster Canal

The Lancaster Canal runs through the heart of Lancaster and stretches to the historic Lune Aqueduct, where you might catch sight of a barn owl.

A barn owl stretches its wings as it flies in dappled sunlight across glistening water.

More tips to spot barn owls

Read our guide to spotting these elusive nocturnal birds of prey

What makes a good habitat for a barn owl?

Bar owls nest anywhere that provides shelter from wind and rain. This might be in cavities within barns, buildings, bridges, and tree hollows. Typically, they built their nests at least three metres above the ground unless in an extremely isolated area.

You can find barn owls across Great Britain and Ireland. They choose to live in open countryside, farmland, along roadside verges, and by canals and rivers.

A good habitat for a barn owl is one that provides food and shelter. Their survival depends on their ability to secure food – and our canals are prime feeding areas for owls to hunt voles. Our work to improve habitats includes reducing cuts to grassland.