While the Barn Owl is the primary focus of the Sussex Barn Owl Group, we are also actively installing and monitoring Tawny Owl boxes. Despite being the UK’s most widespread owl species, Tawny Owls are now Amber listed due to a recent decline in numbers.

Pictured is an adult male, roosting in one of our mid-Sussex boxes, which we trapped and ringed on the 20th May.

Approximately 900 chicks and 100-150 adults are ringed in the UK annually. This isn’t a vast number, so we will be increasing our recording efforts to obtain further information regarding breeding site fidelity and brood size.

Tawny Owls are early breeders, so the team’s breeding monitoring activities start in April through to early June. We are currently checking around 50 boxes installed across Sussex. More box installations are also planned for 2024/25.

Barn Owl box monitoring and ringing starts late June and runs through to August, when we visit over 250 boxes!

Please contact the group if you are interested in participating by emailing: info@sussexbarnowlgroup.org.