Two barn owl chicks have found a new home at the Hawk Conservancy Trust.

The nine-week-old chicks are to join the charity's flying display team and are currently undergoing a gentle induction scheme.

This will help them settle in, bond with the human members of the bird team and earn their stripes.

The fluffy-faced youngsters are expected to become fully-fledged ambassadors by spring next year.

They will be part of the daily displays that help the charity connect birds of prey with the public at its visitor centre near Andover.

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The youngsters are expected to become fully-fledged ambassadors by spring next year (Image: Mike Halliwell) By this time, the pair will also have been named, as the trust is about to launch a public vote to select favourite names from a cheese-themed shortlist.

Anyone wishing to get involved can have their say by visiting the trust’s social media channels.

The charity's displays showcase the natural behaviours of a variety of owls and other birds of prey, giving visitors the chance to witness their incredible flying and hunting abilities.

The displays also serve to educate the public on how the trust is working to help conserve these birds in the wild.

Barn owls are the most easily spotted owls in the UK, often seen hunting at dawn and dusk.

However, long-term habitat loss is putting pressure on these favourites of British wildlife.

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As a result, barn owls are one of the many bird of prey species that the Hawk Conservancy Trust focuses on supporting in the wild.

Its Raptor Nest Box Project now provides more than 1,500 nest boxes throughout southern England to assist barn owls, little owls, kestrels, and tawny owls.

In 2023, at least 198 barn owl chicks fledged from nest boxes in the project.

The trust is currently checking the last few remaining nest boxes of the year, as barn owls often rear two broods and need monitoring later into autumn.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust is dedicated to conservation, research, and education regarding birds of prey and their habitats both in the UK and overseas.

It utilises income from its visitor centre near Andover to fund its work.

Visitors can experience rare birds of prey up close, watch world-class flying displays in three completely different arenas, or simply meander through 22 acres of woodland and wildflower meadow.