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A new
study carried out by the Devon-based Barn Owl Trust reveals the appalling
death toll caused by road accidents.
The study - carried out over a 15 year period - shows that unless
action is taken soon, the UK barn owl population is unlikely to recover.
The number of barn owls nationally has gone down by almost three-quarters
(70%) since the 1930s - mainly because of intensive farming and developments
on green field sites.
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| Barn
owls are a beautiful but increasingly rare sight |
There
are now only 4,000 pairs left in the wild. Each year, they will produce
10,000 young owls, yet around 3,000 of those birds are being killed
in road accidents.
In fact, half of all recorded deaths are road casualties.
Although the research by the trust was carried out in Devon, the results
of the study are valid nationally.
The research found that:
- As soon as a major road is opened, accidental deaths of barn
owls begins.
- In the nesting season, from March to August, all adult barn
owls whose nest site is within half a kilometer of a major road
are almost certain to be killed.
- Road deaths have more impact on barn owls than any other creature.
- When young barn owls are dispersing from nest sites (August
to November), around 40% if those within a kilometer of a major
road will be killed.
The trust, based in Ashburton, is now calling for a complete end to
new major roads being built in rural areas where barn owls are present
within a 25km radius. This includes motorways, dual carriageways,
and local bypasses.
Continuous
three meter high screens of trees and hedges should also be provided
alongside existing main roads, so barn owls can fly over the traffic.
The
charity also wants to see more barn owl friendly habitat created on
farms - but well away from main roads.
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| Barn
owls are flying straight into danger |
David
Ramsden from the trust said: "We've known for many years that
barn owls are being killed on roads because we've been picking up
the casualties.
"One of the really important findings is that the animals being
killed in road accidents are those which would have lived; road accidents
are killing those which have survived through their early life."
Another finding is that major roads are responsible for depleting
barn owl numbers in almost half of the total area of rural England.
The
109-page report, compiled with the help of Professor Graham Martin
of Birmingham University, has been sent to the Government, county
councils and the Highways Agency.
Mr Ramsden hopes that now the hard facts are available, planning,
farming and highways authorities must take the findings into account.
"I'm confident the report will make a difference, " he said.
"It's another consideration for them, when looking at road builds."
However, he believes the other main problem - food supply - is going
to be difficult to rectify.
"Food supply is the most important thing, but the difficulty
is that the changes needed probably aren't going to happen.
"There's been an enormous amount of public funding pumped into
agri-environment schemes, but the fact is that most farmland is still
intensively managed.
"And in creating habitat which provides a food supply for barn
owls, they've not really considered proximity to roads.
"This is the first major report, and one of the things which
comes out clearly is that where such habitat can be provided, it should
be away from major roads," he added.
Article first published: 10th November 2003
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