A barn owl mum discovered at a Lincolnshire farm has been described as rare and incredible. Not only is the creature the oldest barn owl ever to have been recorded, the female was found successfully breeding a six-week-old chick.
The bird of prey has left experts amazed after she was discovered at Eastfield Farm in Hough. The incredible creature is 18-years-old – and experts are sure she’s the oldest barn owl ever recorded in Britain or Ireland.
The owl was ringed as a chick, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have confirmed, she had a ring placed around her leg in Nottinghamshire back in 2007, allowing tracking of the bird.
The BTO’s annual barn owl survey discovered the female roosting at a farm in Lincolnshire, with a young owlet – and it’s been described as ‘great news’ for the future of the species’.
A BTO spokesperson has said the discovery is “incredibly rare” and barn owl expert Alan Ball was left amazed after finding the bird of prey.
For the last 40 years, Alan, aged 68, has been ringing barn owls on behalf of the BTO in the Lincolnshire area.
He noticed something a bit ‘peculiar’ about the female owl while visiting Eastfield Farm in Hough on the Hill last month (June 2025).
Alan told the BBC that he recognised ‘the first few letters on its ring’, and remembered he’d ‘recorded this owl some time ago’.
The ring showed that this barn owl had been originally recorded in Nottinghamshire 18 years ago, on June 23, 2007.
On June 25, 2025, the bird was found again making it exactly 18 years old when it was discovered for the second time in its life.
Speaking to the BBC, Alan said: “Immediately, I knew it was one of the oldest, if not the oldest. I was amazed by the discovery.
“For a barn owl to be alive and breeding at that age is spectacular, and a brilliant sign for their future.”
The female owl has beaten the previous record of 15 years and seven months, making her the oldest recorded barn owl on record – and she has a baby owlet.
The Barn Owl Trust reports these owls have an average life expectancy of just four years, so this 18-year-old creature is truly miraculous.
Generations of the family livin at the farm where the owl was found have been monitoring the species and they are thrilled with the discovery.
Many owls die off due to shortage of food, water, weather conditions – as well as destruction of their habitats (barns and sheds).
Owls are also under threat from secondary poisoning, this is when they eat rodents (their prey) which have ingested rat or mouse poison.
Less than half of barn owls even make it to breeding age, which makes the discovery of this one and her chick an amazing find.
The UK barn owl population is estimated to be about 9,000 breeding pairs across the country, according to Think Wildlife.
Conservation of these incredible creatures is of ongoing importance, experts say, with the work of volunteers being imperative to their survival and maintaining the species and their habitat.