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Barn Owls Barn Owls are undoubtedly one of the world’s most enchanting birds, drifting over misty meadows like a tissue on a breeze, it provides a vision which lives deep in the memory of all those who have the priviledge to chance on this elusive owl. The Barn Owl is a schedule 1 protected species due to its decline in recent years, partly due to loss of habitat (therefore food supplies), conversion of barns/ redundant farm buildings and derelict upland homesteads and road kills. Our aim is to maintain some of these upland buildings which are currently being used by Barn Owls as breeding/roosting sites, and which are in a poor state of repair due to them no longer being required as part of modern day farming. Barn Owls are very faithful to their breeding sites and will return from year to year. Bats There are at least 16 species of bats in the U.K. and based on current information, at least 13 species may be present in the Powys/Shropshire area. Most of them are regarded as threatened due to a variety of factors including habitat loss and disturbance/damage to roosts. Of these species a number regularly use barns and buildings at certain times of the year in order to find safe, secure roost sites. Among the bat species which are present in this area, the most likely are the Brown Long-Eared, Pipistrelle, Natterers, Brandts and the Whiskered - they also roost in barns and buildings, exploiting the area between the ridge tiles and ridge beam. click here to send us an e-mail