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There are many different ways to construct a Barn Owl nest box. Kids, please ask your parents for help when constructing the nest box, as it requires some tools to assemble. The best places to mount a nest box are rural areas where there are open grasslands and crop fields and also where there is grain spillage because it results in high mouse populations. Though Barn Owls are found worldwide, their numbers are particularly high in California and the Southwest.

If you live in these regions and the area is favorable to have a nest, give this project a try!

Boxes can be installed in trees, tall poles or inside barn walls. The important elements of a Barn Owl nest box are roominess and seclusion from predation. Boxes can be made from many materials including big plastic barrels with a big hole cut in the side, and cat carrying boxes. However, the box we’ll describe here is made with plywood.

Construction is simple. Use either 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch plywood, and assemble it with marine-grade plastic resin or exterior wood glue. Boxes should be about 18 to 24 inches in each dimension with an entrance opening of 6 to 12 inches. The top should be hinged on instead of glued so that you can lift it open to clean every so often. Approximately nine drain holes, 1/4 - 1/2 inch in diameter, should be spaced throughout the bottom. A two-inch layer of sawdust or wood chips should be placed in the bottom and should be replaced each year. Finally, paint your box drab green, black and brown to reduce human disturbance.

Ideal tree species to mount the box on are oak and sycamore. They should be hung or mounted 15 to 30 feet above ground. If you mount it on a pole, do so 15 to 25 feet high and in barns, 20 to 25 feet high. Should the beautiful Barn Owl accept your box, make sure you reduce human activity near the site and discontinue the use of rodent poisons. Good luck!