For the third year in a row the agriculture ministry is using barn owls to control rodent populations across Cyprus.
The initiative was first launched in 2019. It is supported by a €65,000 budget for 2024.
The plan is a joint effort involving the forestry department, the Game Fund, the vet services, and BirdLife Cyprus.
Central to the plan is the placement and monitoring of artificial nests for barn owls in various districts.
The project aims to map out existing nests and identify sites for future installations.
In addition to nest placement, the plan also includes comprehensive research into the biology of barn owls and outreach to the farming community.




“This approach is designed to highlight the benefits of biological pest control and advocate for reduced use of chemical pesticides in agricultural areas,” the forestry department said.
The statement also added that the forestry department has made significant progress in Paphos as it has almost completed a study on the reproductive success of barn owls in artificial nests.
This involves banding both chicks and adult birds to gather data. The findings will be integrated into a national database as part of the wider plan for managing rodents through the use of barn owls.
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