Raptor Project
In November 2025, Malmesbury and District Natural History Society (MDNHS) launched its Raptor Project. The aim of the project was to help Barn owls, Tawny owls, Little owls and Kestrels to breed more successfully in our area. All of these birds have faced loss of habitat, declining food sources and fewer nesting sites to varying degrees in recent years meaning that numbers have declined. MDNHS plans to help to reverse this trend by the addition of artificial nest boxes across the region. More safe nesting sites should result in more young being born and eventually more of these birds living among us.
A Collaborative Effort
This project has been a community effort from start to finish. Initially, local people were asked to volunteer their woodworking services to build the different boxes – each bird has slightly different requirements for nesting. The public responded enthusiastically and used the plans we provided to build the boxes.
The next step was to ask people if they had the right habitat to host a box. The birds also have slightly different requirements when it comes to where they prefer to live.
READ MORE ABOUT EACH OF THESE BIRDS, THEIR PREFERRED HABITATS AND BREEDING PATTERNS BY DOWNLOADING THESE LEAFLETS:
Barn Owl / Tawny Owl / Little Owl / Kestrel
Again the public volunteered quickly with potential sites. These were checked and yet again we asked for volunteers to help with the job of putting them up. Elliot, Roddy and Chris soon became the stalwarts of this group turning up week after week to erect the boxes from Culkerton in the north to Chippenham in the south and many other locations in between.
This truly has been a Community Endeavour.
The Current Status
To date 21 boxes have been erected although there may be a few more to install shortly. The following map shows where they are located. Without stating precisely where the boxes are located, the following list does indicate roughly where they are.
Culkerton – Little owl
Malmesbury – Tawny owl & Little owl
Charlton – Kestrel & Little owl
Garsdon – Tawny owl
Lea – 2 Barn owl boxes, Tawny owl & Kestrel
Cleverton – Little owl, Kestrel
Brinkworth – Barn owl, Kestrel
Corston – Barn owl, Tawny owl
Great Somerford – Tawny owl
Dauntsey – 2 Barn owl boxes
Chippenham – Barn owl, Tawny owl
The next Phase
Not many of these boxes will be used this year as most of these birds will already have bred for 2026. Therefore, the hope is that some of them will be used in the 2027 breeding season. This year the birds will have a chance to get used to them being in their territory and maybe roost in them from time to time.
2027 and Beyond
In the spring of 2027, MDNHS volunteers will check the boxes to see if there are occupied. If there are young present, and they are at the correct stage, they will be ‘ringed’ and their measurements and weight will be recorded. This will allow us to monitor them as they grow and mature. We will also need to visit the boxes in the winter to clear them out to avoid any build up of parasites and to prevent the mess building up to the point where the young become too close to the entrance hole and risk falling out by accident before they are ready to fly.
Getting Involved
For now there are no plans for MDNHS to have any more boxes built. However, if you would like to build one yourself (we can send you the plans) or buy one, we are happy to include your box in the Project. Please read the leaflets we have produced on each bird to find out if your location is the right habitat for these birds. We are then happy to help to put the box up and monitor it as part of the Project going forward. Send us an email and we will be in touch.
There is also the possibility of helping with putting the boxes up and with monitoring the boxes for young. Again, send us an email and we will get back to you.