Agri-environment schemes and foraging of barn owls Tyto alba

The barn owl Tyto alba has been in decline throughout much of its range largely as a consequence of loss of foraging habitat resulting from agricultural intensification. The recent introduction of agri-environment schemes in the UK has resulted in the reinstatement of substantial areas of rough grassland which may be of benefit to small mammals and their avian predators. In this study mature grasslands provided by agri-environmental schemes (farm woodlands, permanent set-aside, 2 and 6 m field margins) were compared to better understand which hold the greatest prey numbers and how new areas of grassland targeted at barn owl conservation should be created and managed. In all habitats apart from farm woodlands, small mammal numbers were positively associated with taller swards. This study suggests that areas cut every 2 or 3 years supported more individuals and species than areas cut annually, although this trend was only significant for common shrews. With the introduction of the new Environmental Stewardship scheme in 2005, our results suggest that the area of suitable foraging habitat for barn owls is likely to increase.