Barn owl chicks have been ringed in Purbeck for the first time to help track their movements and if the area's conservation-focused farming is working. The 15 chicks and one adult were ringed at nest sites across three farmland sites in a partnership between Birds of Poole Harbour, Carey Ringing Station and the National Trust. Mark Singleton, Purbeck's National Trust countryside manager, said: "This is an exciting project and a first for us in Purbeck.
Although barn owl numbers have fallen significantly over the past century, there are encouraging signs they may be recovering locally." Set to run every year, the project hopes to expand with more nest boxes put up next year. Singleton said National Trust tenant farmers were managing the land to support wildlife with areas of longer grass, maintaining hedgerows and patches of scrub. He said: "These habitats support the voles and other small mammals that barn owls rely on.
"By monitoring ringed birds over many years, we'll be able to assess how effective these measures are and continually improve what we're doing." Kate Fox, licenced bird ringer and ornithologist from Carey Ringing Station, said: "Ringing provides invaluable scientific data about these birds, which can't be gained from observations alone. "Barn owls are striking birds, but it's very difficult to tell individuals apart. If birds move to a different nest box, we won't know whether it's a new pair or birds we've recorded elsewhere unless they have been ringed." The ringing was carried out under a special licence and follows strict guidance from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
Barn owls are a Schedule 1 breeding species, meaning it is illegal to disturb them during the breeding season without a licence.
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