Montjuïc regains its nocturnal hunter: barn owls are reintroduced to strengthen urban biodiversity

The city council, in collaboration with the Generalitat and various environmental organisations, has reintroduced the common barn owl (Tyto alba) to Montjuïc hill, a milestone in the recovery of the city’s urban wildlife.

The project, driven by Parcs i Jardins, Patrimoni Cultural, the Departament de Territori and the Galanthus organisation, seeks to restore the presence of this nocturnal bird, listed as a vulnerable species in Catalunya, and strengthen the natural balance in one of the city’s most emblematic green spaces.

The first step came in June, with the release of five juvenile specimens bred at the Centre de Fauna Salvatge de Vallcalent. Fed for more than two months using the hacking technique, the young owls learned to survive on their own before leaving the nest installed at the Castell de Montjuïc, an ideal environment for hunting rodents and taking shelter among historic gardens and open spaces.

The programme includes scientific monitoring with infrared cameras and GPS devices to study their adaptation, as well as educational activities to bring biodiversity closer to the public.

Beyond the recovery of an emblematic species, the initiative symbolises a paradigm shift in urban environmental management, replacing rodenticides with natural and sustainable solutions. Barn owls, efficient predators, thus become living allies of the ecological balance of the Barcelona of the future.