If you build it they will come....*Picture of owl added*

[JayinMN]

This winter I built and installed 3 barred owl nest boxes on my property hoping that the owls I hear every night in my backyard would take an interest in them. Well, today while out on a walk, I walked past one of the boxes and hooted at it. To my surprise a barred owl came flying out of it! Maybe if I am lucky I will have a owl family in my back yard this year. I still have one more barred owl box, 14 bluebird boxes and a kestrel box to find some land to put them on before the bluebirds and tree swallows show up.

[MN Shutterbug]

Good job, Jay. All birds need a friend like you.

[Spearing Machine]

That's awesome jay!! At my parents house over spring break I got all of my wood duck houses cleaned out and added new wood shavings and cleaned the bluebird houses out as well.

What type of design did you go with for the owl boxes? I guess, being a senior finishing my [PoorWordUsage] in wildlife ecology, I have never heard of nesting boxes for barred owls. Are you willing to share your plans or up load a photo. I would like to maybe put up one or two back home.

[Steve Foss]

Jason, I'm interested as well. I've got a ton of lumber laying around here, and we have barred owls all over the place by our Bemidji lake cabin.

[JayinMN]

Below is the pattern that I used, which is from the MN DNR's book Woodworking for Wildlife.

I skipped the back board though and just mounted the box to the tree and made one of the sides so you could open it which made mounting the boxes easier. The hole is so large you can clean the box out by sticking your hand in there but I think side access would be easier. From what I have read the best place is to put them is in mature forest at least 100 feet away from a house or frequent human interruptions. Thick hardwood or mixed forest is best, but they need an open flight path to the nest box. Also being near water will increase your odds of attracting a pair. They will nest is towns if they have a secluded backyard away from interruptions. Some people put perches on their nest boxes which the owls will use but its not necessary. However, the babies will leave the nest box long before the can fly and sit on a perch if their is one available. They start "branching" out onto nearby tree branches long before they can fly so I placed mine in the nooks of trees with a few large branches nearby to climb out onto and be able to get back to the box. The boxes should be placed at least 10-15 feet high and preferable not facing north, with the large entrance rain and snow can enter easily. The plan below is based on using a 1 inch thick board, you want them to be sturdy enough to last because the will return to the nest box each year. If you use a different thickness you will need to adjust the floor size to make up for it. The chances of attracting a nest pair this year will not be good since they most likely are already on nests but you could get birds roosting in them during the day.

This smaller owl box will attract boreal, saw whet and screech owls depending one where you live and if placed in open field areas kestrels will use them. The smaller screech and saw whet owls will readily nest in suburbia and may be easier to attract to backyards. They are also more tolerant of human interruptions. I have had saw whet owls in a box behind my parents house which has only a few acres of woodland surrounded by houses. They frequently used it for roosting. I also have one at my cabin which has been used also for roosting. Someday I might be surprised with some owlets. Squirrels also like to use them so may need to clean the boxes out to free them of squirrel nests.

If you are in an area with lots of raccoon you would be better off placing the nest box on a post with a raccoon guard on it. They will use the barred owl boxes as well and if they find any owls in them they will kill them. Also add a few inches of wood chips to the floor of the box since owls no not build nests.

There is a ton of info out there if you google barred owl nest boxes.

End results should be something like this.

[finnbay]

Great idea, Jason and thanks for the plans. Might have to get a couple up myself!

[dockothebay]

Nice Jay! We have the DNR book too and were looking at it this weekend, although we may be too late for this year's nest shoppers!

[Spearing Machine]

You are THE MAN, Jason!! Thanks a Ton!!

[DonBo]

Better hurry with those bluebird houses, we saw a couple in the metro area this weekend.

[Griggs]

Awesome, let us know how it goes. Kresrels would be very cool too!

[JayinMN]

This evening I planned a stake out at one of my barred owl boxes. The same one I saw an owl in before. It worked, here is the occupant. I know its not a good picture, but its a start.

[micpic]

Jason, great job. I hope you encourage alot of other people into providing nesting habitat. I have 4 wood duck nests with two in my back yard and one being used right now. I also have 6 bluebird houses and several utilty nest boxes for nuthatches, wrens and chicadees. I try to build 2 wood duck nests a year out of cedar. You can figure the box alone will cost 35 dollars with the hardware and posts, but it's worth it. I'm definately going to try a couple of your barred owl nests. Thanks for sharing.

Mike