14/09/2026
Sometimes conservation doesn’t require a huge wildlife reserve. It can be as simple as changing the shape of a roof tile.
In Spain, conservation groups have developed special clay tiles known as tejas mochueleras or teula mussolera. They fit into ordinary tiled roofs but contain an entrance and sheltered internal space where the little owl (Athene noctua) can nest and raise its young.
The idea tackles a surprisingly modern problem. Little owls often use cavities in old farm buildings, walls and roofs, but renovation and increasingly sealed modern construction can remove these nesting spaces. The species has declined in parts of its range because of several pressures, including habitat degradation and loss of suitable nesting sites.
The tile essentially turns part of the building into a nest box without requiring a large external structure. Its enclosed passage gives the owl a darker, protected cavity while the roof itself provides shelter from weather.
And farmers can benefit from having these tiny predators around. Little owls hunt insects and small vertebrates, including rodents, making them useful members of agricultural ecosystems.
It’s a beautiful example of wildlife-friendly architecture: instead of designing buildings that completely exclude nature, we can deliberately leave small spaces for other species to live alongside us.
Sometimes giving nature a home requires no new land at all—just one thoughtfully designed hole in the roof.
