Justin Bieber's Instagram Photo Has Us Wanting Owls in Our Gardens – Here's How to Attract Them

Baby, baby, baby, oh! Justin Bieber might not be a name we'd usually associate with gardening, but the singer's latest Instagram photo dump has certainly given us food for thought.

Among the snapshots was a glimpse of what looks like a rather dreamy outdoor living space, complete with cozy terrace sofas, an outdoor fireplace and even an outdoor TV screen. But it was another, slightly blurrier photograph that caught this writer's attention: an owl, seemingly a great horned owl (aka the birth month owl for January babies everywhere!), paying a visit to his garden.

Naturally, this isn't Bieber's first foray into the world of owl appreciation. The singer has had an owl tattoo on his forearm since 2012, with the bird representing wisdom – so it's easy to assume that this latest garden visitor was a particularly welcome sight for him.

Welcome Owls To Your Yard. Justin Bieber-Style

Now, Justin Bieber certainly isn't alone in his fascination with these magnificent birds of prey. Whether it's their haunting calls, striking eyes or wonderfully mysterious reputation, there's something rather special about spotting an owl close to home.

So, if Bieber's feathered visitor has left you wondering how to welcome one of these beautiful birds into your own backyard, the good news is that there are a few things you can do to make your yard more owl-friendly.

Here's where to start.

1. Put Up An Owl Box

One of the best ways to encourage owls into your yard à la Justin Bieber is to give them somewhere safe to nest. Depending on the species in your area, then, installing an owl box could provide just the inviting home they're looking for.

The trick is to figure out which owls are visiting before you buy (or DIY) your nesting box; eastern screech owls, for example, are cavity nesters and will readily use suitably sized nesting boxes. Great horned owls, on the flipside, typically use open nests rather than enclosed boxes.

Once you've researched the requirements of your local owl species, all that's left to do is position your new nesting box high up in a mature tree, somewhere quiet and away from too much human activity.

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2. Let Things Go Wild

A perfectly manicured lawn might look lovely, but a slightly wilder yard? Why, that could be much more appealing to visiting owls, as tese birds of prey need somewhere to hunt. (A healthy population of small mammals, such as mice and voles, can provide an important food source).

Try leaving a patch of grass a little longer, planting native grasses and wildflowers, and preserving mature trees wherever possible. Trees offer useful perching and roosting spots (something like the ‘Temple of Bloom’ Seven-Son from Fast Growing Treescould prove just as appealing to nesting hummingbirds as it does owls), while natural vegetation can help support the small mammals that owls feed on.

Don't worry; you really don't need to let the whole yard run wild (as Justin Bieber's near-immaculate garden proves) – even a small corner can help support local wildlife.

3. Go Dark

Owls are particularly active around dusk and (duh!) during the night, so creating a peaceful and naturally dark environment can help make your yard more welcoming. Consider switching off unnecessary outdoor lights, using motion-sensor lighting where needed, and avoiding bright spotlights that illuminate trees and potential nesting areas throughout the night.

Basically, invest in the kind of garden lighting that reduces light pollution as a rule, and keep it off at night if you want to do your bit. And try, too, keeping noise and disturbance to a minimum around trees and nesting sites.

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4. Rethink Your Pest Control

If you want an owl to visit your garden just as it did Justin Bieber's yard, then it's also important to think carefully about how you eliminate rats.

Rodenticides (rat and mouse poisons) can be dangerous to owls, which may become poisoned after eating contaminated critters. If you want to encourage these beautiful birds into your yard, avoid using rodent poisons, then, and instead opt for safer, more owl-friendly approaches to pest management instead.

If you, like Justin Bieber, are lucky enough to spot an owl in your garden, take care to admire it from a distance rather than approaching or shining a light towards it (and consider investing in a Solar Trail Camera like this one to get your photos). After all, the idea isn't to persuade an owl to become a regular garden guest at any cost, but to create an outdoor space where local wildlife can thrive.

And while there's no guarantee that making these changes will result in an owl visit, you might just find that your garden becomes a little more appealing to some of nature's most fascinating nighttime visitors.