Hello again
Adverse impacts on affected waders from the scourge of leg flagging should not be underestimated. Very few leg flagged birds ever make it past their
next migration. The surviving re-trapped birds are few and usually referred to by banders as examples to demonstrate success, rarely questioning the
disappearance of the vast majority that have probably perished as a direct impact of their leg flags.
When Banders are asked why we rarely see flagged waders returning after migration, excuses such as “the birds are non site faithful” or, “the birds
return to remote areas where monitoring is difficult” is a common but pathetic response. It needs to be recognised that wader leg flagging has been
a major threatening process, contributing significantly to declines of Curlew Sandpiper, Red Knot and Sanderling populations in Australia. It is a
devastating process to inflict on any small wader.
The 2020 Wader Conservation Project
Wader conservation projects based on field observation, counts, behaviour study, photography and habitat protection etc. should be strongly supported.
These projects provide the information that is now required for effective wader and habitat conservation. But projects based on destructive
processes such as leg flagging, canon netting etc should be scrapped; otherwise the 2020 shorebird program is just another public funded rort for
banders and will do more harm than good for the conservation of these vulnerable birds.
Notification of Banding Operations
The benefits of announcing planned banding operations in a local region would alert other interested observers to consult and comment about projects,
watch out for flagged birds and independently to assess impacts. The announcements could be via birding-aus or Eremea National
Leg Flaggers are actively targeting rare and threatened species. However leg flagging waders is now little more than an intrinsic hobby beyond its
“use by” date.
Regards
Ian May
St Helens, Tasmania
Ian May wrote:
g'Day all
An uncomfortable subject
It saddens me to report that in Tasmania this morning, I observed a
number of “small waders” recently leg flagged. The birds were
struggling about in
moderate winds, hobbled by what appeared to be fresh looking manacles.
These birds were in areas where in previous years, apart from an occasional
flagged stint it has been unusual to see flagged waders. The birds seen
today appeared to be struggling in only moderate conditions and if this
is an
example of 2020 Shorebird conservation, current programs needs to
questioned, reviewed and modified urgently.
Can anyone inform us of the details, if they know of any recent wader
leg flagging in Tasmania? Although I would like to see it banned, in
the mean
time it should be a requirement of leg flaggers to notify the community
in advance of planned banding operations. Specifically the public should be
notified when and where, the targeted species and by whom a leg flagging
operation is planned. Something similar to the requirement to notify the
public when a forest burning operation is planned.
Also, can any one inform us how the decision is made by banders to apply
multiple flags on a particular bird.
Regards
Ian May
St Helens, Tasmania
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