Nov 30 2010
Norfolk will get new noise sensors installed on the roads to reduce the number of owl deaths caused by traffic. The Hawk and Owl Trust, located in Fakenham, is finding black spots where barn owls are hit and killed by vehicles.
Research shows up to 3,000 barn owls are killed on Britain's roads each year.
The Hawk and Owl Trust will install noise sensors that respond to headlights and produce noise to repel wildlife from the road. The sensors are being tested on the moose in Sweden, where the mortality rate of great grey owls has reduced considerably. As a preventive measure, the Hawk and Owl Trust is requesting people to pay attention and report any casualties of birds of prey or owls on the roads.
The Conservation Officer for East Anglia at the Hawk and Owl Trust, Nigel Middleton, stated that the trust intends to install deflectors on the roads. Middleton added that when triggered by headlights, the deflectors are activated and randomly emit one of the five diverse sounds. The noise would alert birds of prey or owls that are at risk of being hit by traffic, said Middleton.