Sponsor a Little Owl Tile

The 10th edition of the Delta Birding Festival will donate the proceeds from ticket sales to the project “Sponsor a Little Owl Tile”, an initiative aimed at improving nesting sites for the little owl (Athene noctua).

This project has been developed by Grup de Natura Sterna in collaboration with the Grup de Naturalistes d’Osona, to support the reproduction of the little owl, a species listed as vulnerable in the most recent Catalogue of Threatened Native Wildlife of Catalonia (Decree 172/2022, September 20).

One of the main threats to the little owl is the lack of natural or artificial cavities for nesting. To address this, special owl tiles (teules mussoleres) will be installed across the counties of Osona, Bages, and Baix Empordà. These tiles will be distributed to owners or caretakers of agricultural estates, providing safe and suitable nesting sites for breeding pairs of little owls. The goal is to install one or two tiles per farm, reaching at least 50 farms and a total of 80 owl tiles.

The concept of the owl tile was originally developed by the Calldetenes Bird Ringing Group (Osona) and later tested and improved by the Grup de Naturalistes d’Osona – ICHN. Handmade clay models were successfully tested in the municipalities of Torelló and Mataró, showing high occupancy rates over the years.

To streamline production and expand the project, Grup de Natura Sterna partnered with a skilled artisan potter, a profession increasingly rare. Thanks to previous efforts, the group has engaged Josep Matés, a craftsman already involved in various environmental and social causes. He owns a traditional wood-fired kiln, ideal for creating the molds and firing the tiles.

Funding from Delta Birding Festival ticket sales will support the creation of the mold and the production of the initial batch of 80 owl tiles. We look forward to welcoming many visitors to the festival so that these important nesting shelters can be installed in suitable farmlands—offering safe homes for future generations of little owls!