Dear Ausbirders
some thoughts from a constitutively abusive idiot.
Kym Bennet wrote
>this is the first time I have found a
>mutilated bird caused from leg flags.
>This is because the suffering and losses caused from
>leg flagging is not easily observed. Most of the
>banded birds just disappear and are not seen again,
>presumed dead.
It could also be that this type of damage is the result of other processes
and that it very rarely happens to to the small proportion of birds that
are colour flagged. Birds that frequent the intertidal zone are prone
to damage inflicted by hazardous litter such as nylon fishine line and
netting that may lead to amputation. Silver Gulls are frighteningly often
observed with amputation injury.
The most frequent type of leg injuries that I have observed in shorebirds
are apparently broken legs that simply dangle. It is clear that birds that
have never been banded sustain leg injuries but for some reason these don't
disappear.
I have seen half a dozen or so assorted waders with leg flags that showed
no sign of injury or distress. Since I have seen unflagged waders with
unpleasant injuries should I therefore conclude that colour-flagging
protects shorebirds from leg injury?
Dr P.J. Milburn
Biomolecular Resource Facility
Australian National University
GPO Box 334
Canberra
ACT 0200
+61 2 6125 4173 'Phone
+61 2 6125 4326 FAX
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