2022 Season: Bonnie & Ozzy's tawny owlets are ready for the world. Before they fly they need their ID tags.
Tawny owl chicks
At almost a month old, tawny owls Bonnie & Ozzy's four chicks were ready to leave the nest, which means its time for them to get their ID rings. These ID tags are lightweight metal rings, sized to fit a bird for life. Each has an individual number on it which relates to that bird's records and means that if the bird is found injured or dead in the future it is possible to trace its number to find out exactly where it is from. The ability to track these birds helps us understand population numbers and movements and is very important in the conservation of owls.
Licensed bird ringer
Jean Thorpe runs a local wildlife rescue centre and is a trained and licensed bird ringer for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). She is very experienced and ensures the process doesn’t harm the chicks at all. The rings come on a string or a plastic tube with the numbers going up the band. They are G sized rings which also fit mallards, barn owls, and even buzzards. The rings are applied with specially designed pliers which place the pressure only on the metal and not on the birds leg. It's important that the metal fits snugly and there are no gaps which could act as snags in the future.
Owl weights
As part of the process each chick is also weighed and the data sent off to a national database. The smaller two of Bonnie & Ozzy's chicks weighed 370g each and the larger two were a healthy 420g each. The latter weights are actually heavier than some full-grown barn owls and great to see because when they were younger I had to provide extra food for these owl chicks since four is quite a large brood for a tawny owl pair.
Noting owlets elbows
Helping Jean with the ringing gives me a rare chance to inspect the tawny owlets close up. It is interesting to see the bare patch of skin at their 'elbows' where as chicks they have rested on their haunches before learning to stand. It takes a while for these areas to feather up once they’ve fledged. The whole process takes place swiftly to ensure that the owlets are not away from their nest for long. As soon as they have each been tagged I return all four chicks to the nest safe and sound. They seem unfazed and one of them even has a big stretch, showing off its shiny new ring and by the time mum Bonnie returns all is calm. #tawnyowl #owl #robertefuller #bonnieandozzy #wildlives #discoverwildlife
