Colour ringing project commences

The British Trust for Ornithology has supported the Sussex Barn Owl Group’s colour ringing project and granted us the required endorsements.

We colour ringed a very early brood of two Barn Owls at a site near Cuckfield in late May. In the photo, we see red ring numbered ADA fitted to a 52-day old male. His sibling, another male, bears a ring with letters ADB. We will colour ring over 200 Barn Owls in Sussex during this breeding season.

We are now asking all observers to be vigilant and report any colour ringed Barn Owls to your normal recorder or database and also to the Sussex Barn Owl group, using our email below. Please state the ring letters, which, as you can see from the photograph, are highly visible, plus the location of your sighting. This will provide us with significantly more information about adult and chick dispersal. All sightings will be acknowledged, and observers will be informed of the bird’s original breeding location.

Out thanks go to Sussex Ornithological Society who are partnering this by funding the colour rings.

Please email us via: info@sussexbarnowlgroup.org