DIY Barn Owl Nest Box

Build the ideal home for your barn owls! Construct a rectangular box out of plywood, cut a 3″ viewing hole on one side of the box and a 5″ hole for the entry in one end of the nest box. Cut several thin ventilation slats in the roof of the box or install an air grate, measure the temperature in your barn rafters where the nest box will be mounted and consider installing an exhaust fan on the roof of the box to ensure the box remains below 100 degrees. Attach a wood dowel to a block of wood for a perch, mount the perch on an inside wall of the nest box and mount an identical perch outside the box just below the entry hole. Hang a clock in the back of the nest box to calm the owls and hang a thermometer inside the box to monitor the temperature. Consider installing a microphone, infrared video camera and remotely-activated standard camera inside the box to monitor the nestlings.