Owls Most owls seldom build their own nests. Great horned and long-eared owls prefer abandoned crow and hawk nests. Barn owls are best known for selecting nesting sites near farms. Where trees are sparse, these birds will nest in church steeples, silos and barns. If you live near a farm or a golf course, try fastening a nest box for owls about 15 feet up on a tree trunk.
Screech owls prefer abandoned woodpecker holes at the edge of a field or neglected orchard.
They will readily take to boxes lined with an inch or two of wood shavings. If you clean the box out in late spring after the young owls have fledged, you may attract a second tenant-a kestrel. Trees isolated from larger tracts of woods have less chance of squirrels taking over the box. Be sure to provide ventilation, drainage, and easy access for maintenance and monitoring.