Richard Fisk

Barn Owls in Britain by Jeff Martin. 288 pp with 35 b/w illustrations. Hardback.
Published by Whittet Books Ltd. 2008. ISBN-13 978-1-873580-75-2 £15.99

There are few people more passionate about Barn Owls than Jeff Martin and this comes across strongly in the book. Jeff covers a number of topics including: Barn owl biology, diet, distribution, movements and history; he also hypothesises on the reasons for the Barn Owl’s apparent decline.

Despite some inaccuracies, the chapters that cover the owl’s distribution and biology are well researched and well written. Jeff’s knowledge gained when serving as Suffolk Mammal Recorder stands him in good stead and he excels in the chapter titled “The food of the barn owl”. Much of his research is based on pellet analysis collected by researchers at localities throughout Britain. Those that supplied their findings are fully acknowledged. Generally, however, I found little original material, although a bibliography, appended to each chapter, details the sources of information.

Barn Owls in Britain holds a wealth of information. It is presented in a neat, hardback book that is well laid out. The cover is adorned by a superb David Hosking photograph of a Barn Owl bringing in prey. The text is complemented by cartoon-like vignettes together with a number of maps and Tables. It is a good read, but in places I found it difficult to follow as many sentences ramble on. One in particular rambles for a mammoth 68 words (p.109) and there are many of 40 or more. I found this distracting and it’s such a pity that punctuation wasn’t highlighted by the proof readers.

Jeff makes frequent references to his “Suffolk study”, but it is difficult to ascertain just what this study involved. The aims and objectives needed better definition and any results properly summarising.

The chapter titled “The first barn owls in the British Isles” is fascinating, only loosely connected to barn owls, but fascinating. Jeff starts by detailing evidence of apparent barn owl remains found in fossils dating back to prehistoric times. He then goes though the ages describing the Ice Age, the Romans, Dark Ages, Black Death, etc, etc.

In places, the book is well out of date and doesn’t concur with current thinking. For me, the most worrying aspect is in the chapter titled “The challenges”. Here Jeff champions the use of nest boxes as if he were the first to suggest their use. He also includes two drawings of totally inappropriate design. It is well known that the old “tea-chest” design with the entrance hole at the bottom has been responsible for the deaths of many owlets. Young chicks are known to become alert and then rush towards the entrance hole as their parents bring in food. Those that are nudged to the ground would perish as barn owls seldom tend their young outside the nesting chamber. The entrance hole should be at the top of the box. I would defy any barn owl to get food into the upright nest box without the use of a landing platform! Jeff questions the validity and identification of the dark-breasted barn owl (Tyto alba guttata) that occurred at Landguard Point on 11th June 1997. Jeff didn’t examine this bird, so his opinions ought to have been more reserved. Since the publication of the book, there has been a record of a female, Dutch-ringed, darkbreasted barn owl that nested in Norfolk. Of course, Jeff didn’t have the benefit of hindsight.

I would like to have seen a chapter on conservation, detailing the work of The November 19, 2011 9:12ith the Barn Owl Monitoring Programme. There could have been more written about the many projects that are being carried out throughout Britain designed specifically to encourage a population increase and range expansion.

Overall, I did enjoy reading the book and I was particularly impressed with the compilation of information that is readily available. The book is heavily biased towards Suffolk and neighbouring counties, so is the title “Barn Owls in Britain” misleading? However, if this means that more copies are sold and it further promotes interest in the conservation of the barn owl, then it has my vote.