Barn Owls are now so rare that they have special protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) - under which it is an offence to intentionally disturb these birds while they are preparing to nest or during the actual process of breeding. Their decline is due in part to the persistent use of organo-chlorine insecticides, pesticides and rodenticides along with barn conversions, innumerable nest-sites in trees and buildings have been lost, trees in particular due to Dutch elm disease and freak storms. But a far greater impact on this decline has been the demise of their natural breeding and hunting ground - long grassed meadows. As the meadows disappear so does the mainstay of the Barn Owl’s diet, the Short-tailed Field Vole.

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The World Owl Trust is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The Trust relies on a dedicated membership, visitors, donations and legacies.