Decline of small waders

[Marilyn Davis <>]

Hello Birding-AusersThe following link describes the major cause for decline of 
our small waders.http://www.shorebirdnetwork.org/leg_flags.htmlVery good, isn't 
it.  Imagine two large leg flags and a metal band on a phalarope (relies on its 
legs to swim), a sanderling (needs its legs to run) or a stint (needs its legs 
to walk through floating algae).   Make no mistake; impact on targeted rare and 
endangered waders from this destructive practice is just as bad as any random 
habitat destruction.

But leg flagging has not been acknowledged as a threatening process for birds?  
Because such a large number of waders are now leg flagged, why won’t the 
perpetrators consider research that will demonstrate impact such as a 
comparative study using microchips?   If a comparative sample of birds were 
micro chipped and the same number uniquely leg flagged, retrap scanning would 
soon prove my concerns.

Yes, micro chipping small birds has risks and must be expertly administered.   
Sure, microchips are not visible but they can be electronically scanned and 
strategic siting scanners near roosting sites would probably give better 
results than population biased random field observation.

Nearly all of the leg flagged birds disappear without trace on their first 
migration but the billygoats responsible refer to a pathetically small number 
of retraps and field observations to justify their hideous work.These are facts 
and you should be aware of the destructive consequences caused by leg flagging 
before supporting this sort of 'bird conservation'. I apologise for being 
forced to use this method to place a post on birding-aus but Russel has banned 
me from birding-aus.  So much for free discussion or does he agree with leg 
flagging.RegardsMarilyn Davis

Via Katherine NT
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