birding-aus

Fwd: Re: [BIRDING-AUS] Bird Banding Terms.

To:
Subject: Fwd: Re: [BIRDING-AUS] Bird Banding Terms.
From: "Underground Parrot" <>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 00:09:23 +1100



From: N_ight >
To:  
Subject: Re: [BIRDING-AUS] Bird Banding Terms.
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 12:50:51 -0000

Hi Andrew

Thanks for your reply. There are some questions about bird banding that plague me and i would value the considered opinion of members on this subject.

Is it possible that fitting bands to a large bird such as an Albatross is a different proposition from doing this to a small bird? Is it probable that an Albatross may be able to survive this activity better than say a Regent Honeyeater or perhaps an Orange-bellied Parrot that must fly Bass Strait winter storms. Is a partly immobilised leg to a wader a greater disadvantage to its survival than say one partly immobilised leg to an Albatross. Does a seabird with a single metal band on one leg have a better chance of long term survival than a wader with multiple bands and flags on both legs? Do wing tags disadvantage a small migratory wader on its flight from Australia to Siberia?

It seems surprising that radio tracking was required to prove that Albatrosses were flying into the fishing zones. Is there anywhere over the oceans south of Australia where the Albatross does not fly?

Anyway thanks for the opportunity to express this.

NP



From: "Andrew Stafford" <>
To: N_ight >
CC: <>
Subject: Re: [BIRDING-AUS] Bird Banding Terms.
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 17:38:31 +1100

Hi NP,

I'm not personally involved in bird banding operations, but over many years
have observed dozens of banded Wandering Albatross re-captured aboard the
Sandra K off Wollongong. Many of the birds were originally banded many years
ago and showed no signs of injury or inconvenience, much less the
catastrophic fates that you so consistently allude to.

Pretty much the entire population of Amsterdam Albatross has been banded,
yet as far as I'm aware their numbers have remained stable (albeit
critically low).

I don't have a problem with discussing the merits vs demerits of banding on
birding-aus. There is no doubt that fatalities occur and this is a
significant issue to be addressed. However, this must be weighed up against
the benefits. If albatrosses hadn't been banded or (less often)
radio-tracked, we may not have known that female Wanderers were flying
directly into major long-line fishing zones.

Obviously many people think you're joking. I can't see why you'd bother, so
may I suggest you provide some actual evidence for your claims about
banding? That would certainly be a valid contribution to the discussion and you would be less likely to be removed from the list. Observers may also be
prepared to overlook your failure to identify yourself in person.

Think about it.

Cheers

AS




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