birding-aus

playback

To: "'Colin R'" <>, <>
Subject: playback
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 01:37:16 +1000
I'm not sure I agree about "if there was as much passion and emotion put
into stopping habitat degradation as there is in the use of play back
we'd be in a much better position!"

I would think us birders do care about and do things about habitat
degradation and many in the community care about this too. Does any of
us - small select group of birders - really think that anyone else out
in the community, let alone a few birders who like to express our
opinions to each other, give two hoots about whether playing back calls
bothers a few birds? 

I doubt that very much. 

Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah  ACT  2902
 
02 - 62314041


-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Colin R
Sent: Friday, 5 June 2009 2:24 PM
To: 
Subject: playback


Hi All

I have often expressed the opinion that in reacting to a tape the bird
'successfully' defends its territory and thus strengths its possession
and standing in its relationships within that territory. Its not
something I believe in over using, however, the minimal harm it appears
to have on the majority of species would appear to be of no consequence.
We have all heard stories of birds being 'taped out' - I know of one
overseas incident where a warbler sp (can't remember the specifics now)
became so used to the same (only) recording played by visiting birders
that it stopped reacting to it.  It obviously recognised the call as a
non-threat and simply ignored it. I think we need to avoid placing human
emotions onto birds and remember that that is what they do - defend
their territories and sing and call to establish their dominance and
maintain their standing. If for a few minutes they react accordingly -
its in their makeup and its what they do best! All the birders I have
spoken to regarding the, almost secret, unspoken use of playback have
described their minimal use of the procedure and all have been at pains
to assure that it is kept to a bare minimum and for a sighting only, not
for prolonged exposure. As pointed out by others, if there was as much
passion and emotion put into stopping habitat degradation as there is in
the use of play back we'd be in a much better position!

Cheers

Colin



On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:35 +1000, "Michael Hunter"
<> wrote:
> Hi All,
>          Has anyone out there have any actual evidence that tape
playback
>          in moderation is actually harmful to birds?
>         
>          Is playing a tape, or pishing for that matter, until the bird
>          appears, any worse than invoking the natural behavior of a
bird
>          chasing away a territorial intruder?  Any worse than causing
a
>          bird to fly or run off when following it with a pair of
>          binoculars?
> 
>           Professional bird guides from many different companies in
>           Europe and the Americas return to the same territories again
>           and again, year after year, with their tapes, the same birds
>           keep responding. Playing the tapes doesn't seem to worry the
>           birds any more than another intruding bird does.
> 
>           Does anyone have proof rather than opinion to the contrary?
> 
>                                                 Cheers
>                                                      Michael

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