Ending the year on a nice note, the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS) has recorded the greatest time elapsed between banding and
resighting for two species within the last week.
Seemingly in competition with each other, two fairy terns (Sternula nereis) who were banded as chicks on Tern Island, Western Australia
on 17 January 1997, have been sighted recently within a couple of weeks of each other at Breakwater Parade, Mandurah WA. This resighting took the record for the maximum time elapsed between banding and resighting for this species. Both birds were banded for
an ABBBS-supported research project on the population dynamics of tropical seabirds in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Max was sighted strutting his stuff on 18 November 2018 and created some excitement by being the oldest fairy tern on our records at 21 years
10 months and 5 days.
Pip was not to be outdone. Pip posed for a photo opportunity almost three weeks later on 11 December 2018, upping the longevity to 21 years
10 months and 24 days—`pipping` Max at the post by 19 days.
The competition then expanded to include a silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae). This silver gull was banded at Spectacle Island,
Tasmania, on 10 December 1988 aged at over two years.
After being found on 28 November 2018 tangled in fishing line at South Brisbane, Queensland, this hardy bird was rehabilitated and released
alive at an age of over 30 years. The maximum time elapsed between banding and recovery of 29 years 11 months and 18 days.
A great way to close 2018.
