Starke Ayres established its owl-breeding programme in 2016 to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals on all its farms.
On May 17th, EcoSolutions collaborated with Starke Ayres in Kempton Park to ring three fledgling owls on the property. The process began with using a forklift safety cage to remove the baby barn owls from their owl box carefully. Once safely brought down, the owlets were placed in a box, each receiving a ring.
These rings carry unique identification numbers uploaded to a University of Cape Town (UCT) database. This data is crucial for researchers as it provides information on the owls' locations, conditions, and travel distances.
After Arjen van Zeiten (registered owl ringer) secured the rings, the fledglings were gently returned to their owl box. Sara Orchardson (from EcoSolutions) collected several discarded owl pellets. Owl pellets contain undigested bones, fur, feathers, and other materials and are used in school educational presentations.
EcoSolutions is dedicated to providing non-toxic, effective pest control and aims to establish a sanctuary for owls and bats, both of which are natural rodent controllers. Starke Ayres supports this initiative with bat hotels and 18 owl boxes, offering safe breeding spaces. These owl boxes are serviced biannually, preparing them for the breeding season.
