Got Nature? Blog

A capture from the Goose Pond webcam of barn owls in a nest box.

MyDNR, Indiana’s Outdoor Newsletter: A pair of barn owls have made a home in the property’s nest box, and you can watch this couple via a live webcam by going to the Goose Pond FWA camera page.

Barn owls are an endangered species in Indiana due to grassland habitat loss. Fewer than 50 nests are found annually in Indiana. To provide barn owls with secure nesting sites that are protected from predators, the DNR has built more than 400 nest boxes and erected them in barns and other structures with suitable habitat during the last 30 years.

The barn owl nest box at Goose Pond FWA was completed in March 2022 and is located next to its Visitors Center. This is the first nesting pair that has decided to call it home. The Friends of Goose Pond group helped provide funding for the camera and box, which has marine-grade plywood to keep the residents dry. It was painted the same color as the Visitors Center and looks like a house.

To learn more please visit the DNR Calendar.

Sign up to receive the MyDNR Newsletter by email: MyDNR Email Newsletter

Resources:
Barn Owl, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Barn Owl Nest Webcam, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Creating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store
Climate + Birds, Purdue Institute for Sustainable Future
Birds and Residential Window Strikes: Tips for Prevention, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, The Education Store
Managing Woodlands for Birds Video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store
The Nature of Teaching, YouTube channel
Nature of Teaching: Common Mammals of Indiana, The Education Store
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Wildlife Playlist

Indiana Department of Natural Resources