Ten Rare Barn Owl Chicks Born in County Fermanagh
Two barn owl families had five chicks each in County Fermanagh
Ten barn owl chicks were born in County Fermanagh.
There were two families. Each family had five chicks.
The chicks were born in special boxes on farms. Farmers put up the boxes.
This is the first record of chicks in the county for 50 years.
Barn owls are rare. Northern Ireland has fewer than 30 pairs.
The chicks now have small rings on their legs. People will know them later.
The places are secret. This will keep the birds safe.
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Ten Barn Owl Chicks Recorded in Fermanagh for First Time in 50 Years
Two pairs of the rare bird have raised five chicks each at secret sites in County Fermanagh
Ten barn owl chicks have been born in County Fermanagh, in Northern Ireland. Two pairs of birds each had five chicks in nest boxes at two different sites.
The chicks are thought to be the first ones recorded in the county for 50 years. Fewer than 30 breeding pairs are thought to be left in Northern Ireland, so the birds are very rare.
The success comes after more than ten years of work by the charity Ulster Wildlife with local farmers. The farmers put up nest boxes and made the land better for the birds, because barn owls need thick hedges, long grass and rough ground for hunting.
The chicks now have small rings on their legs, so people can record them when they are seen again. The two sites are being kept secret to protect the birds.
Barn owl numbers have fallen across the UK over the past 50 years. Katy Bell from Ulster Wildlife said the birds are "magical" and asked people to report any barn owls they see.
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Rare Barn Owls Raise 10 Chicks at Secret Sites in County Fermanagh
Conservationists say the chicks are the first recorded in the Northern Irish county for half a century
Barn owls have had a bumper summer in County Fermanagh, with 10 chicks recorded across two sites. The two broods of five chicks appeared in nest boxes that had been installed after more than a decade of work with landowners. The chicks are thought to be the first recorded in the county for half a century.
The breeding success follows years of conservation work by the charity Ulster Wildlife, which has helped local farmers install nest boxes and improve habitat for the elusive bird. Fewer than 30 breeding pairs are thought to be left in Northern Ireland, and the locations of the two Fermanagh sites are being kept secret to protect the locally endangered bird.
Katy Bell, a senior conservation officer at Ulster Wildlife, said nest boxes were only part of the answer, and that the willingness of farmers to adapt to the needs of the "magical, mystical" barn owl had also been important. "We've been working closely with landowners, advising on land management and also putting up boxes," she said. The birds need thick hedgerows, rough areas and long grass to hunt over, as well as somewhere to nest.
The chicks have had small identification rings placed around their legs so that they can be traced if they are spotted again. It is the first time chicks are known to have been ringed in Fermanagh, under licence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and with support from the British Trust for Ornithology.
Barn owl numbers have declined across the UK over the past 50 years, largely because of habitat loss and the use of pesticide, and the birds are now red-listed as at risk of extinction. People are being encouraged to report sightings across Northern Ireland, particularly in the west.
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