Tragic death of barn owl Finn was preventable

This week one of my favourite barn owls drowned in a water trough used for livestock. The loss was particiularly tragic, not only because Finn was such a beloved owl, but because his death could have so easily been prevented.

Finn, a beloved owl

Since I announced his death on my YouTube channel, there has been an outpouring of grief from his many fans around the world on my social media channels. Named Finn by his huge following, this young barn owl was mourned by some 50 millions owl lovers around the world when he died. These fans had followed his story via cameras hidden inside his nest and had watched him grow from a goofy young owl lover into the best of owl dads. He was particularly well loved for the way he was so attentive to his partner Gylfie and their three chicks. He could often be seen standing faithfully by his family, as the clip below demonstrates.

An orphan owl

I’m particularly sad because Finn is a barn owl that I rehabilitated as a young chick in 2019. He was rescued after falling from a straw stack and given a second chance at life and it’s just tragic that yet again he’s become a victim of human adaptations.

Preventable death

Worst of all is that this was so easily preventable. During the breeding season and in hot weather adult owls get dirty in the nest and need to wash themselves. Just an upside-down crate or a float can give the owls something to rest on while they wash. Natural places for birds to bathe, like ponds and streams, have shallow edges, and ditches have rough sides, and so the birds don’t expect what seem like small bodies of water to be so deep.

What you can do

I'd like to appeal to anyone who uses a water trough or open water butt for livestock to make a small adaptation to make them safe for wildlife. Birds, especially owls, often drown in these steep-sided structures because they can't get out.