Did you know that a group of owls is called a “parliament?”
A parliament of Barn Owls now calls the 3 Sisters Garden home thanks to Rich Gilman, a Master Gardener since 2025. Rich’s deep interest in Barn Owls was ignited in 2008 when he took a class about these nocturnal creatures from Fresno Audubon. He put together a barn owl nest box on his property and within two years, a pair had moved in.
Currently, Rich hosts two active nest boxes at his home, as well as maintains the nest box he built at our demonstration garden. To the delight of the master gardeners who volunteer there, a pair set up housekeeping.
In January, this industrious couple hatched three handsome owlets and by late April the young trio fledged and, being able to fly, brought a wealth of good vibes to the garden!
Barn Owls are efficient hunters of the night. Rats, mice and gophers are an unwelcome and distasteful reality of urban or rural living, but to a Barn Owl, these pesky rodents are a delectable treat. A single Barn Owl can catch up to 3-4 of these rodents a night. Make it a pair and the numbers increase with up to eight vermin nightly.
A nesting pair feeding their chicks will catch 10-20 prey per night which equals between 1,000-3,000 rodents caught and killed yearly. In fact, Rich says the nesting pair at 3 Sisters brought so many rodents to feed the chicks that the babies couldn’t keep up with the ample supply. Each time Rich checked the nest box, situated twelve feet high on a pole, the ground was littered with uneaten prey.
When asked to describe why Barn Owls fascinate him, Rich kept his answer simple. In addition to being such effective rodent killers, they are just beautiful and fun to watch. Between the two nest boxes in his yard, he delights in seeing what he described as an airport of up to seven birds in the air at one time.
For more information about Barn Owls and their nest boxes, visit the UCANR link: https://ucanr.edu/blog/real-dirt/article/owls-and-integrated-pest-management-ipm.
If you have further questions about attracting Barn Owls to your home and garden, stop by the 3 Sisters Garden located behind the Madera Community College, 30277 Ave. 12, any Tuesday morning when master gardeners are there to answer your questions.
FREE WORKSHOP — Irrigate Like a Master Gardener will be presented by Master Gardener Randy Thomson on Friday, August 28, from 1-2 p.m. at the Oakhurst Senior Center, 49111 Cinder Lane, Oakhurst. Learn about how to best irrigate your home landscape.
Happy Gardening!