GovWire

How much will be paid

38.28 per box.

Where to use this item

Available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants

In Mid Tier it can only be used with with options HS1 and HS8

For Higher Tier and Capital Grants it is available:

• for barn owls or kestrels (these are the target species), unless there is support from the RSPB or a Natural England bird specialist for another species
• when the other year-round requirements (summer and winter foraging habitat) for the target species are being met on the holding or nearby

It is also available for Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot) to help you to undertake the actions in the following SFI pilot standards:

• Hedgerows standard
• Arable and Horticultural land standard
• Improved grassland standard

In the above instances, you do not need to seek advice from Natural England.

How this item will benefit the environment

This item provides artificial nesting and roosting sites for large birds, in particular barn owls and kestrels.

Requirements

Each box should be sited in an appropriate location and cleaned out in the autumn (October and November), unless hibernating or roosting bats are using it. Each box must be maintained in good condition, with any damage or losses made good during the agreement term.

Keeping records

Agreement holders will need to keep the following records and supply them on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• photographs of the proposed site for the wildlife box
• the date that the nest boxes are cleaned out (unless used by bats or invertebrates)

Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.

Agreement holders will need to keep the following records and supply them with the claim:

• photographs of the completed work

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item

The following section gives advice on carrying out this item successfully but does not form part of the requirements for this item.

Each box must be maintained in good condition, with any damage or losses made good during the agreement term.

Location

This item can be used anywhere on the holding. Ideally it should be used with other habitat options such as moorland, rough grassland, boundary field margins, in-field or boundary trees, or historic buildings.

Keep the box in its original location if it is being used. If it is not being used after year 3, ask Natural England for relocation advice.

Construction

The Barn Owl Trust has information on the best locations and how to construct a box (kestrel boxes generally follow similar construction guidance). The RSPB also has information on barn owl and kestrel boxes.

The box should be at least 1km away from any motorway, dual carriageway or similar major road. It should have entrance holes:

• at least 100mm diameter or 100mm by 100mm square
• that are, ideally, 100mm by 130mm
• and are at most 150mm by 150mm (up to 210mm by 300mm for kestrels)

It should also:

• have a nest chamber floor area of at least 0.16 square metres (that is, sides at least 40cm x 40cm), ideally 0.2 to 0.4 square metres
• be at least 46cm from the bottom of entrance hole to the nest (but only 10cm for kestrels)
• have an external platform below the entrance hole or perch with enough room for an entire brood of owlets or young kestrels to exercise and await food deliveries
• be easy to clean
• have wire straps with hose, nylon bolts or aluminium nails to secure the box to the tree or building to prevent damage
• have its tree fixings adjusted each year so they do not cut into the growing tree or cause the box to explode off the bolts
• be sturdy yet light enough to allow safe erection using basic equipment
• be covered with thick roofing felt if outside

Biodiversity

This item has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holdings situation and potential.

The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

Further information

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.