Barn Owl Home
Barn Owl Diet
Short Tail Vole
Latin Name: Microtus agrestis
Colour: Grey-brown above, creamy-grey underneath, rounded snout, less prominent eyes than mice & short ears completely covered with fur.
Length: Approximately 90-110mm; distinctive short tail.
Weight: Averaging between 20-40g.
Habitat: Rough grassland areas, woodland, hedgerows, dunes & moorland.
Food: Mainly short grass stems, mixed vegatation & seeds.
Nests: Dead grass is used to make their nests, which are about 10cm in diameter. Nests are found in tussock grasslands at grass roots level, in underground burrows or even under discarded man made materials such as corrugated roof sheets.
Breeding Season: This begins in March/April and ends between October and December.
Young: Up to 5 are normally found in each litter and females will give birth to 5 or 6 litters per year.
Common Shrew
Latin Name: Sorex araneus
Colour: This can differ, dark brown, pale brown, whitish, covered with dense velvety fur, long pointed upturned snout, small eyes, small ears and red teeth.
Length: 4-8cm’s including tail.
Weight: 5-14g.
Habitat: Found in damp areas, hedgerows, scrubland, grassland and deciduous woodland.
Food: Insects, earthworms, small slugs and snails.
Breeding Season: Starts around May until September.
Young: A litter will consist of 5-7 young.