Found a dead Barn Owl - do I need to notify anyone?

My daughter works at an English Heritage property and yesterday found a barn owl dead inside the old building. It was not there when she’d locked up the previous night. We knew there were owls there previously as had seen one flying and plenty of droppings/pellets. The owl was in perfect condition, no damage at all. It’s body was so tiny though under all the soft feathers and its head completely floppy. 

Ive taken the body home and it’s in my freezer. Primarily it was just such an opportunity to see such an exquisite bird close up but then I got to wondering if I needed to notify anyone. I suppose the main thing I’m thinking is whether it could have been poisoned by pest control methods used in the property. 

  • Sorry to hear you found a dead Barn Owl, very sad news.       I have a link here via BTO website where you can telephone them reporting such a bird.     They normally send you details and special postal label which you can print out so you can submit the bird for a post mortem.    I have done this in the past with smaller garden birds and they eventually send you back the findings of the PM, hopefully with a reason for the birds death.     Another LINK HERE which you may want to read if you agree to submit the bird for PM 

  • Daffodil92 said:

    My daughter works at an English Heritage property and yesterday found a barn owl dead inside the old building. It was not there when she’d locked up the previous night. We knew there were owls there previously as had seen one flying and plenty of droppings/pellets. The owl was in perfect condition, no damage at all. It’s body was so tiny though under all the soft feathers and its head completely floppy. 

    Ive taken the body home and it’s in my freezer. Primarily it was just such an opportunity to see such an exquisite bird close up but then I got to wondering if I needed to notify anyone. I suppose the main thing I’m thinking is whether it could have been poisoned by pest control methods used in the property. 

    I would imagine English Heritage as a national organisation, will have a department that monitors and ensures the EH look after wildlife and the land it manages, correctly.

    Your daughter could mention it to her estates manager who should have access to a list of sections and their responsibilities.

    I know the National Trust do and their estate managers always welcome any wildlife reports, no matter how sad or pleasant.