How did barn owls help protect grain stored in barns?

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A large grain elevator and several metal silos stand on a farm surrounded by green fields, with hills and a partly cloudy sky in the background. — Farm building Grain elevator and silos on a small farm.

Barn owls (Tyto alba) have historically played a vital role in protecting stored grain from agricultural pests. Because barns were essential for storing harvested crops before the advent of modern machinery, they were highly susceptible to infestations by rodents that fed on the grain.12

To mitigate this, farmers intentionally encouraged barn owls to inhabit their buildings by cutting entrance holes near the rooflines to provide access for nesting. By establishing these nests, farmers utilized the owls' natural predatory behavior to control populations of rats and mice that would otherwise consume or spoil the stored harvest.23