Easter 2007 — Eggs & Birds

This is a barn owl’s egg. Today the barn owl, with heart shaped face, is a much loved bird. This is no doubt partly because it is now so rare. There are just over 5000 pairs in Britain, less than half the number in England and Wales alone during the 1930s.

The decline in numbers over the past fifty years is a result of the degradation of once prey-rich habitats in the face of intensive agricultural practices. But owls in general have also suffered in the past from persecution because they were viewed as ominous birds. They were solitary creatures of the darkness and this made them frightening in many people’s eyes.

This attitude is reflected in the Bible. Psalm 102, for example, is the passionate prayer of a man who feels utterly cut off from both humanity and God:

‘I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.

I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.’
(vv.6-7)

People have overcome their prejudice and learned to love owls. They turn out to be hauntingly beautiful after all! A glimpse at night of a barn owl taking off from a fence post is more likely to be thought of as a blessing than a threat. Recognising the beauty of owls may also mark the beginning of a recovery of owl numbers. It is unclear at the moment how things will turn out, but the provision of nest boxes in some areas may be reflected in a slight increase in numbers. Maybe, in the future, owls may not be as solitary as they are at present.