Four new nesting boxes built For Parkmore Owls
After a decade of bringing the community together, the Field Market is investing in local conservation by sponsoring four owl nesting boxes to help protect the park's resident birds of prey.
For the past 10 years, the Field Market has brought the community together at Field and Study Park every month.
The popular market in Parkmore is now committing to conservation, by helping protect the park’s resident owl population. The market sponsored the installation of four owl nesting boxes at the park, providing safe nesting spaces for barn owls and spotted eagle owls that have long been spotted inthe area.
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The final nesting box was installed on August 4 by the Owl Rescue Centre, completing a project that included three barn owl boxes and one spotted eagle owl box. The initiative was made possible through a resident, Janis Chapman, who organised the project and obtained permission from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo before the Field Market stepped in to sponsor the
owl houses.
Field Market organiser Handri Coolen said the project was another way for the market to give back to the park which has hosted the popular community market for the past decade.
“This is for the owls that are in the area. As far as my understanding, owls don’t make their own nests, they find a structure and then make a nest. This is a safe place for them to make a nest.
“There have been lots of owls in the park in the past, and there have been barn owls at the nearby recreation centre and in some of the houses in the area as well. So, we hope that they will make these houses their forever homes.”
She added that the market, held on the first Saturday of every month, has always aimed to invest in the park and its natural environment.
“We’ve been here for 10 years, and this is one of the ways we’re giving back to the park. It’s a beautiful space for the community and, hopefully, one day visitors will be lucky enough to spot an owl here. We hope these houses will be a success, that the owls will breed here and that there will be owlets.
“Thank you to Janis Chapman for organising this project and to everyone who contributed, especially the Owl Rescue Centre for the incredible work they do rescuing and protecting owls.”
Godfree Sithole, from the Owl Rescue Centre, said each nesting box was designed specifically for the species it would accommodate.
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“The barn owl houses have smaller entrance holes because barn owls prefer more privacy. The spotted eagle owl houses are more open because they are much larger birds.”
Sithole urged residents to be mindful of wildlife before removing trees, and to avoid using rat poison, which can have devastating consequences for birds of prey.
“Owls depend on us. They come into our gardens to catch rats, so if you poison the rats and the owl eats one, the owl can die too. Let’s look after our birds.
“I would also like to thank the Field Market for supporting the Owl Rescue Centre, and I hope this inspires more communities to join the fight against owl cruelty.”
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