Guys
the scientific community (certainly internationally) do a huge amount of
research into the welfare of birds when various tagging techniques are used.
This has to be done before it is permitted, and has also driven technological
advances in making them smaller, lighter etc.. I have personal experiences of
this, working with incredibly dedicated research scientists who would always
put a bird's welfare first - and they led by example.
As a student in Oxford, I have used radio tags, satellite stage, radar
transponders etc, on birds and have not had an issue or fatality. Before
putting satellite tags on a particular species, I spent 3 months at Whipsnade
Zoo trialling techniques on captive birds. A vet who specialized in birds was
employed to look over the welfare of the captive birds on a continuous basis -
to look at potential future issues. The tags were a tiny fraction of the
overall body weight of the wild birds. They were attached to feathers and they
fell off after a year once the bird moulted. The information from an applied
conservation perspective was invaluable. The birds (which are endangered)
migrated from 1000s of kms and back without an apparent issue. The cost - some
stress for a bird while it was captured and handled for 30 minutes. Different
species react in different ways - some show obvious signs of stress - but have
you guys seen the albatrosses plucked form the water and tagged on the Sandra
K? 5 mins later they are back behind the boat eating the free food!
If we are to have a debate about this - let's have an informed debate with
those who have an applied knowledge of how such research is undertaken, the
care shown, the stresses the birds endure etc.
I am not an advocate for ringing, banding, tagging etc. for no reason. But
there are good reasons why such projects occur and the vast majority that I am
aware of are undertaken in a very professional manner.
Rob Morris
> From:
> To:
> Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:00:19 +1100
> CC:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Leg Flagging scourge now in Tasmania
>
> Ian,
>
> Should satellite tracking be banned as well?. Surely the capturing and
> application of a tracking device is equally traumatic to the birds, as
> is the capture and banding of them.
>
> Carl Clifford
>
> On 30/03/2011, at 10:33 AM, Ian May wrote:
>
> 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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