Put a ring on it

admin
, 20 June 2024
Put a ring on it
Little Owl

By Phil Jones

Volunteer for Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Bird ringing caught my imagination from an early age. I had volunteered at the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss and helped the ringers there. I enjoyed the new experience of seeing birds at very close quarters and have been ringing ever since. 

Cetti's Warbler
Cetti's Warbler © David King



In the UK, bird ringing is administered by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). It provides valuable information on bird movements and helps scientists look at the health of the UK bird populations. By capturing birds we get a fascinating insight into their productivity and survival rates.

The ring itself is amazingly light, typically around 0.5% of a bird's typical weight, and features a letter/number combination that is unique to each ring. Novices are trained by an experienced bird ringer for up to three years before they can go solo. This is because the bird’s welfare is of the utmost importance. They also need be able to identify what they catch and know how to age and sex the bird accurately. Birds are typically caught using fine, light nets.

Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting © David King

At Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, our rangers and volunteers are always looking out for birds with rings. Last year, as we were checking the Sandwich Tern colony at Ternery Pool, we found birds that had been ringed in Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. Other sightings include Dutch Oystercatcher and Spoonbill, a Little Tern from Belgium and a French ringed Avocet.

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Comments

  • Phil Clay:

    keep up the good work!

    27 Jun 2024 10:56:00

  • Michael Thompson:

    An interesting short article about Bird
    Ringing. Can you give us more please.
    It is such an important part of your work that
    we really should learn more of about what you do and where in Sussex. Thank you

    27 Jun 2024 11:07:00

  • Sue Whall-Poole:

    Great to know – Thank you!

    28 Jun 2024 16:08:00

  • Linda Davis:

    Interesting short article. Fascinating to be able to track bird movements

    30 Jun 2024 06:25:00

  • Naima Collins:

    Hi there. I’m a retired vet nurse and was recently given a couple of pink chicks found on a build site job. They had to sadly remove them. I’ve hand reared to healthy pigeons soon to fledge. I have a dovecote so will be free but monitored and cared for. I wondered if I could have them ringed somewhere. Also would love to volunteer after reading this. Based in Poynings West Sussex. Thank you

    04 Oct 2025 23:03:00

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