The attitudes of church building managers toward the barn owl (Tyto alba) and the protection of its nesting sites
Abstract
Western barn owl (Tyto alba) populations are declining across Europe. As a building-dwelling species, changes and the disappearance of its special nesting sites likely play a significant role in these negative population trends. In Hungary, barn owl breeding is still strongly associated with church buildings. Building managers may play a particularly important role in protecting barn owl and its nesting sites, since long-term conservation of the species is unfeasible without their support. To explore the knowledge of priests and pastors about the species, as well as their attitudes toward conservation practices, we conducted a nationwide online questionnaire survey. The responses suggest that church building maintainers have sufficient knowledge of the barn owl and are supportive of nesting-site protection measures in churches. According to the responses, the presence of pigeons in the buildings – the related building hygienic concerns and the damage they cause – is the most common argument against barn owl conservation activities in churches. Based on the present study and our field experience, we would like to highlight the importance of cooperation between conservation professionals and church building managers.
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