Barn Owls in Cochin

Published November 16, 2009 | By sholto

The Tharavad near Cochin

Barn owls are, the world over, highly endangered. Their secretive and shy character makes the encroaching of humans especially problematic. Being shy, they are rarely seen and all the more valuable. The recession is also threatening them as they figure in a ritual sacrifice whose sacrificiants believe will make them more prosperous. The Kerala forestry service has reported a number of cases where smugglers have offered barn owls for sale for prices as high as 1.5 lakh (£2000) per bird. Buyers will sacrifice them and use the body parts.

All of which seemed pretty remote to us until the recent bad weather revealed the existence of a nest of 5 chicks in our roof space in the Tharavad south of Cochin. The bad weather had disturbed them and the nest. One of the chicks was killed, but the other four survived. With the nest destroyed and the parents away we decided that they needed some tender loving care to rear them adulthood. We called the Forestry service who drove up full of excitement and are now rearing them. They were also deeply grateful that we had not sold them - “good, good people”.

This was also the first we had heard of the threat to them from black magicians. Rediff carried a story in June on the case: http://www.rediff.com/news/2009/jun/24can-an-owl-in-kerala-ward-off-recession.htm

Hopefully our birds will grow to be magnificent adults and perhaps with some luck they will return to our house and start another brood. Below are some pictures of them: