Carmel Owls

Building and installing Great Horned Owl platforms in Carmel-by-the-Sea and beyond

Carmel Owls

Building and installing Great Horned Owl platforms in Carmel-by-the-Sea and beyond

What We Do

Carmel Owls is dedicated to the installation of Great Horned Owl platforms in Carmel-by-the-Sea and neighboring Monterey Peninsula cities. Through the identification of suitable tall trees, meeting with the homeowners, building the owl platforms and finally installing the platform with our crew of volunteers, we'll hopefully encourage a nesting pair of Great Horned Owls to take up residence.

Our Goals

Carmel Owls' goals over the next year are to build and install another 5 to 10 owl platforms to encourage Great Horned Owls to nest and subsequently reduce the growing rat and vermin population in Carmel-by-the-Sea and the surrounding Monterey Peninsula.

Adopt an Owl Platform

If you live in Carmel Knolls, Rancho Rio Vista, Carmel Views, Carmel Highlands, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, Monterey or Carmel Valley and have a suitable tall tree with safe and easy access for a cherry picker, we'll build and install your platform for free. Let us know! Please note that Carmel-by-the-Sea is now completely full of owl platforms.

Check out the photos from our recent deployment of six platforms.

Carmel Owls makes the news! Watch the KSBW newscast.

TV Clip

Have You Got Rats?

Great Horned Owls may be your salvation

Great Horned Owls predate rats and other rodents in the forest unlike barn owls that hunt in meadows and vineyards (and live in owl boxes, not owl platforms). Many cities in the Monterey Peninsula are experiencing costly rat infestations, including the chewing of car wiring assemblies and HVAC wiring, as well as nesting in crawlspaces, walls, and attics of homes.

Repair costs can range from $10,000 for HVAC wiring to $15,000 for chewed car wiring. In addition to costly repairs, rats inflict damage in walls and substructures, as well as bring fleas and terrible smells into homes. Eradication can be costly and time consuming.

Rats can reproduce at an alarming rate. Litters typically number 6 to 12. Females can become pregnant a day after giving birth and have an average 3 week gestation period. Newborn rats can become pregnant after 2 to 3 months. With healthy forests in the peninsula, residential waste bins, and large amounts of restaurant waste, the rat population has grown explosively as it has done in large cities like San Francisco and NYC.

Killing rats with poisons (rodenticides) is effective for controlling infestations but poses severe, often fatal, risks to children, pets, and non-target wildlife. Poisoning rats is not recommended unless performed by a licensed contractor to ensure the rats have been trapped and cannot be consumed by other non-target animals.

Rat Infestations

Rise of the Rats

Rat Poisons

Have You Got Rats?

Great Horned Owls are nature’s way of safely predating rodents

A Great Horned Owl with fledglings can predate up to seven rodents daily. And who doesn’t love to hear an owl’s soft ‘coo’ at night?

Listen to a Great Horned Owl coo

Why Great Horned Owls Love Nesting Platforms

Why a little love can go a long way

They Don't Build Nests

Great Horned Owls are unique among birds in that they almost never construct their own nests. Instead, they typically take over abandoned nests built by other large birds, such as red-tailed hawks, crows, or herons, or use natural tree cavities, cliff ledges, or broken tree snags.

Habitat Loss

As old pine trees and redwoods with suitable natural nesting sites are removed, the availability of natural options declines. This forces owls to seek out alternative, safe locations to raise their young.

Great Horned Owls are highly adaptable and will readily use artificial platforms, baskets, or open-topped nest boxes when natural sites are scarce. Providing these platforms can directly support local populations by offering a necessary, stable location for nesting.

Adaptability

Nest Durability

Natural stick nests can deteriorate quickly after one season's use. Sturdy, well-built artificial platforms can provide a more durable and reliable nesting location that can be reused in subsequent years, increasing nesting success.

Great Horned Owl Platforms

Great Horned Owl platforms are typically positioned 25 to 35 ft from the ground with unrestricted flight access away from busy roads and power lines. Check out the Owl Platform photos or the Schematics to build your own platform.

Atop Topped Trees

Installation of the platform is with four (4) star drive lag screws through the platform base into the top of the topped trunk. Check out how to build this platform on the schematics page.

Against Vertical Tree Trunks

Installation includes a metal male and female mounting bracket and under platform support. Check out how to build this platform on the schematics page.

These platforms are installed with a rented cherry picker, $500/day, from Home Depot that must be towed into place. Suitable trees must be in a level area alongside the street of the owner's property or along their driveway. Once the cherry picker is safely positioned, a platform can be installed in roughly an hour.