through practical research, In fact Raptor Rescue‟s Ben Hoffman caught seven rats during his first night of action! Nest boxes with side entrances have been successfully used. The nest box can be installed on a wooden post, or fitted to the side of your house or against a tree. Registration Number 001-298 NPO | Public Organisation No 930 004 518 | © 2018 BirdLife South Africa. The tytonids are screeching owls and include the grass and barn owls in southern Africa. The box should be placed at a height of between 2 and 5 metres above the ground. The electronic rat killers can then be re-set to catch multiple rats in the same night. These nests are between 30 and 40cm in diameter and the hole is ½ to 1 metre in depth. The Sanctuary stocks boxes for Barn Owls  and for Spotted Eagle Owls at a cost of R350. GRASS AND MARSH OWL : Inhabit vlei and grassland areas, nesting, in early winter, on the ground under tufts of rank veld grass. It is very difficult to ‘attract’ owls to your garden. The are two factors that determine whether an owl will remain in an area : food and nesting availability. Rufescent Screech Owl Megascops ingens. Functions include WOOD OWL : Nests in natural cavities or rot holes in trees of indigenous forest areas. Owl houses vary according to the specific preferences of the indigenous owl species. They will sometimes utilize artificial boxes in evergreen forest patches. You can, however, provide an owl-friendly environment that might increase the likelihood of wild owls choosing to live nearby. They provide a humane and environmentally friendly way of eradicating rodent pests. The box should preferably face open land and the flight path to the entrance hole should be unhindered. They utilize old nests of other birds that have a minimum flat base of 20cm and that are found between the heights of 2 to 13 metres off the ground. Breeding season: early winter. Typical call (A-song) - Septimo Paraiso Lodge, Mindo, Ecuador. Breeding season: early summer, BARN OWL : Lives in most habitat types (except forests), and will often utilize manmade structures to nest in. Functions Bird Page, Sound, Autoplay, List Operations, Pre-filter, Clear, Return. The distribution of a species can be obtained from most South African bird books. Simply place your electronic box in an area where you know rodents are active (look for rat droppings), put some bait inside (like a few pellets of dry pet food), turn on the switch and leave the rat-zapper to do its work. They nest most commonly on the ground, amongst rocks or under shrubs, or in a wide crotch in a low tree. They have enormous eyes, stouter bills … They require a safe, semi-enclosed place of at least 30cm in width. These cavities need to be 20 to 25cm wide, approximately 25cm deep and have an entrance hole of approximately 11/12cm in diameter. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Secure the box firmly and ensure that the entrance hole does not face the direction of the prevailing winds. The nest becomes lined with debri, scales and bark. Owl nesting boxes are constructed from standard, tongue and groove pine ceiling boards, on a 30mm x 30mm pine frame. Poisons typically take 12 to 24 hours to take effect; in the meantime they simply slow the rat down, making it easy prey for watching owls. When the trap has been triggered a red light on top starts flashing. Breeding season: early summer, CAPE EAGLE OWL : Nests on rocky prominences or cliff faces and make scrapes of 28 to 38cm in width. Combating rodents with poison, however, puts owls at huge risk. Breeding season: winter. Breeding season: early summer, SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL : They occur in all different biomes, except forest and desert regions. BirdLife South Africa appreciates the support from Gerry Cassidy and for allowing the use of his plans. specialized breeding & creative education. 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For more information and support on COVID-19 please visit, What we do: Protecting Ecosystems (sites and IBAs), Wakkerstroom Tourism and Education Centre, BirdLife South Africa’s 91st Annual General Meeting, BirdLife South Africa’s scientific publications. Electronic Rat Killers are a walk-in trap that electrocute the target. The eggs are laid on a bed of woodchips in early summer, BARRED OWL : Lives in woodland areas in natural cavities and rot holes in tree where branches have broken off. Position a platform or branch at the base of the box or entrance hole so that branching youngsters can clamber out without falling to the ground. These owls have long slender bills, smaller, dark eyes and a pectinate claw for preening. The Sound module can be accessed from the home page, identification module and modules menu. CC Fabrice Schmitt. Typical call (colombianus) - Otun Quimbaya Reserve, Colombia. Verreaux’s Eagle Owl (Giant Eagle Owl): the biggest owl in Africa. Owl nesting boxes are constructed from standard, tongue and groove pine ceiling boards, on a 30mm x 30mm pine frame. If you are a handy man and would like to build your own Barn Owl box, click here: PEARL-SPOTTED OWL : Found in wooded habitats of savannah regions. In both cases the bottom of the access holes should be located in such a position that the baby birds cannot fall out of the box. PEARL-SPOTTED OWL: Found in wooded habitats of savannah regions. Man-made structures and old nest sites are also used, but preferred nest sites are all open. A small landing area (15cm x 10cm) should be attached to the Barn Owl Box at the base of the access hole.The roof slopes towards the small front in the Barn Owl box, whilst the roof slopes the other way in the case of the Spotted Eagle Owl box.