How To Attract Owls To Your Backyard: 4 Useful Tips

by John Griffith
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Owls are some of the most majestic animals to exist. These large birds of prey are iconic, and you can only hope to catch a glimpse of them in the wild as they are not common backyard birds. Nonetheless, they are very desirable guests to observe on the rare chance they appear in your backyard. However, why leave things to chance? These nocturnal birds can be pretty private and elusive. They are wary of humans and prefer to stick to secluded woodland areas rather than your average cul-de-sac. But there are ways you can increase your chances of seeing these mighty birds around your backyard. You just need to be very patient. Today we will show you all the simple tricks you need to know on how to attract owls to your property.

Owls are some of the most majestic animals to exist

barn owl getting ready for flight

How To Attract Owls To Your Backyard

As we mentioned, owls do not like busy residential areas. So, if you live in a concrete jungle, busy urban area, bustling suburb, or your garden barely has any foliage, the odds are against you. This also applies if you have a construction site nearby or a freeway. Anything loud will scare away these majestic creatures. However, if they do manage to ignore them, this will put them in danger of collisions and injuries from human infrastructure. The prime environment for attracting owls is an open, grassy area with tall trees. Quiet suburbs and houses near the forest or undeveloped land are also have a pretty good chance. These types of areas, alongside the following tips, increase your chances of glimpsing an owl a great deal.

The prime environment for attracting owls is an open, grassy area with tall trees

how to attract owls owl on branch

#Add a nest box

Since owls are night creatures, they need a place to roost during the day. These birds prefer dense, mature trees with good trunks to chill out in while the sun is out. Even better if it is in a secluded and shaded area. However, if you don’t have such a tree, owl nest boxes are a great alternative. Install a nest box high up on a tree and fill it halfway with some wood shavings. It’s best to mimic their natural preference and keep the nest box in a wooded area and at least ten feet above the ground.

You can install a nest box for owls to roost in

how to attract owls owl peaking out from nest box

#Mimic nature

This is one of the most important tips we can offer you. As we mentioned, owls are private creatures. They do not like the noisiness of the city and the blinding lights. That’s why it’s best to mimic their natural habitat as much as possible. To do that you will need to limit your use of exterior lights, as owls are nocturnal, and they hunt for food at night. The light will disrupt their hunt. Not only that but it’s best if you consider planting more native plants around your garden. Or simply keep the native plants and brush piles that are already there. Mice, rats, and voles all like to use brush piles and plant overgrowth to hide in. These rodents are an owls’ favorite food. This way you supply owls with food they can hunt for and they take care of the rodent problem for you.

Keep your garden as natural as possible 

how to attract owls owll in brown

#Offer perching post

Owls are hunters. So, like all birds of prey they like to have a place where they can perch and scour the perimeter for food. These feathery hunters will be drawn to fence tops, bare branches on dead trees, telephone lines, and so on. Anything that is tall enough and comfortable enough for them to perch will be a good choice. Having a perching site is a good way to attract them to your garden as you will be offering them a hunting ground.

These feathery hunters will be drawn to any comfortable perching site

barn owl perching on fence

#Don’t use chemicals

If you are trying to attract more wildlife in your garden, it’s a good idea to ditch all the chemicals. This means you should avoid using pesticides on your grass and don’t use poison against pests. The harmful chemicals you put out in your garden and the poison you use to kill pests can easily end up inside the digestive system of an owl. Too much exposure from such substances can be fatal for the poor bird. So, if you are serious about wanting to attract owl, you will need to find natural ways to deal with these problems.

You should avoid using pesticides on your grass and don’t use poison against pests

owl during the night

Now you know how to attract owls to your backyard. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can start applying some of these tricks and start enjoying more of these feathery guests around your property.

Now you know how to attract owls to your backyard

flying owl in winter

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John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.