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

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

10 September 2025

ONE of Northern Ireland’s rarest birds has bred successfully for the third year in a row at a family farm  near Downpatrick, offering hope for the recovery of the species.  

Barn owls were once a familiar sight across farmland and are fondly known as the ‘farmer’s friend’ for their natural pest control.

But with the loss of rough grassland, thick hedgerows and old trees for nesting, their numbers have plummeted with fewer than 30 breeding pairs remaining.   

Determined to help barn owls and a host of threatened farmland species, the Kelly family have been working with local nature conservation charities Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI for many years at their Ballyalton farm.  

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.  

After witnessing barn owls hunt over their farm for years, the family’s efforts finally reaped reward 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 the family were very fortunate to have barn owls on their farm all year long. 

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

“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.

Agri-environment schemes, such as this, give farmers the tools 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 warn that continued investment is essential if positive stories like this are to be repeated. 

Katy Bell, Senior Conservation Officer with Ulster Wildlife, said while nature is in trouble across Northern Ireland, with one in nine species at risk of extinction,?farmers can be “part of the solution”.

“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,” she said.

“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 that the organisation was “absolutely delighted” that 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,” she said.

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

Michelle said the 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,” she added.

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 Katy Bell, Ulster Wildlife at barnowls@ulsterwildlife.org.