Flower Mound residents interested in attracting screech owls can get construction plans and volunteer help through a town program whose first 20 free nesting boxes have already been claimed.

The Animal Services Board’s Whoo’s in the Shelter pilot promotes wildlife habitat and natural rodent control while encouraging residents to avoid poisons that can harm owls.

Eagle Scout candidate Grayson Hulog built the initial boxes, according to the North Texas Sun. Volunteers are now available to help cut wood for residents who want to assemble their own.

The town’s owl house webpage includes building instructions and estimates material costs at $35 to $45.

Supporting owls and reducing poison use

Eastern screech owls live in Flower Mound year-round and use tree cavities for shelter and nesting. Boxes can provide additional habitat where suitable natural cavities are scarce.

The town estimates that a screech owl can eat 1,000 mice annually, describing owl habitat as one way to support natural rodent control and reduce reliance on rodenticides.

Local wildlife enthusiast David McCarty told the North Texas Sun that concern about those poisons drew him to the program. Owls can suffer secondary poisoning after eating contaminated rodents.

McCarty said the same pair of owls has returned to his backyard box for seven years. He is also part of the Screech Owls of Flo Mo Facebook group, which Jim Simpkins founded in 2018. The group has grown to about 2,700 members, the newspaper reported.

Finding a suitable spot

The town recommends installing boxes in late September or October, approximately 8 to 15 feet above the ground.

Suitable properties should have mature trees, shade and a clear flight path to the entrance. Residents should avoid bright lighting near the box and consider hazards such as netting, windows and swimming pools.

The town also advises against rodenticide use on the property or by immediate neighbors.

Putting up a box does not guarantee an owl will move in. Resident Courtney Montoya installed hers in 2019 and waited until Christmas Eve 2022 to see owls occupying them, according to the North Texas Sun.

One female, which Montoya named Ginger, became a regular visitor before Montoya found her dead in December 2024. She suspects secondary poisoning, though the cause was not confirmed in the report.

Montoya is now waiting for owls to return.

Residents can see an owl box display at the Flower Mound Animal Adoption Center, 3950 Justin Road. Construction and placement questions can be sent to the Animal Services Board at [email protected].