Expert: Roger Lederer - 12/15/2011

Question
Hello,

I live in a fairly rural area near Jupiter, FL, with some barred owls around.  I just finished hanging a barred owl house I built from minimum-size specs I got from a couple websites.  The area I hung it SOMEWHAT meets the criteria listed by the websites.  Here's the criteria where I hung it:
facing east
some trees on south side
no trees on north side, but we can view it from our window about 100 feet away on this side
about 55 feet from nearest building (detached garage)
Good size pond about 100 yards away, (if you look at the pic, it's on the other side of the road, you can't quite see it)
15' up a pine tree, which is as high as I could get it

The specs say 18' minimum up the tree.  So my questions are,
1. what are my odds of owls moving in given the criteria where I hung it?  If not good, why?
2. If you think 15' will surely not be high enough, do you think I need to hire someone to get it higher?

I've attached a pic.  

BTW, I've also built and hung a bat house, 2 red-bellied woodpecker houses, 1 kestrel/ screech owl house, and 4 carolina wren houses.  Lastly, I plan to build and hang a pileated woodpecker house.

Thanks,
Jeff

Answer
Jeff, from what you have told me and from the photo, you seem to have done everything appropriately. Fifteen feet is the minimum height but I see no need to move it at this point. There are lots of factors that determine whether an owl will use the nest box - , population of owls in the area, availability of other nest sites, human disturbance, cats, dogs and other predators in the area, food availability, etc. I can't tell you what the odds are of an owl nesting are, but if nothing happens the first year, put the next box in another location. Eventually you should be successful. Keep me posted.