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Barn Owl documentary (First broadcast on Monday 31st October 2022)

We have a real treat lined up for you to kick off the week, in the form of a Mooney Goes Wild special all about one of the most beloved and iconic night-time creatures of all: the Barn Owl. Biologist and roving reporter Terry Flanagan goes in search of this gorgeous bird of prey, long a staple of Irish myths and legends, as well as of RTÉ television each Friday night, thanks to its starring role in the title sequence of The Late Late Show. Terry will talk to some of the people trying to conserve and protect these amazing birds.

Barn Owls boast an astonishing range of adaptations which have made them perhaps the ultimate nocturnal hunters. Ornithologist Eric Dempsey explores these 'owl superpowers' for us, from their ability to rotate their heads through 270 degrees and their almost supernaturally sharp hearing to their needle-sharp talons and silent flight capabilities.

As for the role that the Barn Owl has played in Irish heritage, who better to help us get to grips with this than Éanna Ní Lamhna? The ghostly, ethereal flight, the pale, almost human-like faces and the blood-curdling shrieks of these night-time hunters are believed to have given rise to tales of the infamous banshee, for example, and there are many deeply held beliefs and superstitions about these remarkable birds.

There is also the common perception of the "wise old owl", which dates right back to Ancient Greek mythology and is prevalent in cultures across the globe. Dr. Richard Collins will tell us more about the supposed intelligence of owls. Are they really as smart as we like to think? (Spoiler alert: no, apparently they are amongst the least intelligent of all birds!)

Despite the great affection that we hold for them, in recent years Ireland's Barn Owls have been having a tough time of it. A severe shortage of suitable nesting sites and the reduced availability of small mammals to eat, coupled with the serious problem of rodenticide poisoning, have taken a toll on their numbers. Niall Hatch will delve into the population and distribution statistics for us, as well as bring us up to speed on exactly how these beautiful creatures are doing both at home and abroad. After all, the Barn Owl is one of the most widespread animal species on the planet.

Irish Barn Owls may have been struggling, but, as we will hear on this programme, thankfully hands-on conservation measures are starting to bear fruit, with people like BirdWatch Ireland’s Raptor Conservation Officer John Lusby leading the way in the provision of nest boxes and tackling the spectre of poisons and other hazards.

We also hear from Kilkenny farmer Nicky Murphy, who no longer uses rodenticide on his land because the Barn Owls are eating the troublesome rats and mice for him. What’s more, we pay a visit to a sculptor who has created a giant representation of a Barn Owl that is now on display in Tuam, Co. Galway, and we take a look at the special structures that Transport Infrastructure Ireland has been installing to reduce the number of owls killed on our roads.

For more information about the ecology and conservation of Barn Owls in Ireland, visit https://birdwatchireland.ie/publications/barn-owls-in-ireland-info-on-ecology-and-their-conservation/

To download Golden Wings a special free e-book for children all about Irish Barn Owls and produced by BirdWatch Ireland, visit https://birdwatchireland.ie/golden-wings/