The nesting box design was created by the Barn Owl Trust, a UK organization dedicated to furthering the population of barn owls everywhere. While it could conceivably make it easier for predators to gain access to the box, it’s also a common perch location for the parents guarding their clutch. I’m in the process of reviewing trail cam footage where at least one of the two nesting adults can be seen spending a lot of time on that shelf. I think part of the reason why it was designed that way was to also provide a place for the juvenile barn owls to visit once they’re big enough to get out through that tall opening without actually having to fly off for their first time. The juvenile barn owls can fly, but they sometimes lack the stamina to fly home. The larger “landing pad” probably makes it a little easier for them to make it back too.
