Public asked to help track a number of barn owls in Cork

Owl in danger of extinction due to agricultural practices and use of rodenticides

Birdwatch Ireland has launched a live stream camera from a barn owl nest site in north Cork. The pair of barn owls, who are nesting in the roof space of a derelict cottage, currently have three chicks aged six weeks old. Picture: Richard Mills

Birdwatch Ireland has appealed for the public’s help in tracking the number of  barn owls in Cork as part of a survey of the population of the endangered bird of prey.

The barn owl has come under increasing pressure in recent years, leading to a major decline in numbers and fears the species could be wiped out completely.