barn owl ringing

In June 2007, after having put up 20 new barn owl boxes last October, we found and ringed 25 owlets. This is an additional five new broods from last years two - a very encouraging result. 

We also handled an adult male (with a ring) and an adult female. The male was one of the owls that hatched in the owl box in Lower Barn on Knepp in 2005. The female was not ringed so new to the area. 

Barrie has 325 barn owl boxes he monitors - a huge job. 

 

  
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1. first sneak up on your barn owl box with your trusty net 2. then peer inside keeping your net man at the ready in case the mother or father is still inside 3. place the owlets carefully in cotton sacks with draw strings
     

 4. on goes the ring (remembering to put it on the right way up) owlet seems to be completely at ease or at least are fatalistic about the whole procedure 5. the fourth wing feather is measured from the end of the sheath to the tip of the feather 6. the length of both wing feathers are then averaged to give an estimate as to how old the chick is - using the table above
     

 

7. the owlets are then weighed 

8. before being put back in the Owl box

 9. when a mature owl is caught its ring (if present) is checked with the owl records