Well said Greg, I couldn't agree with you more....
It's very frustrating to hear banding & other imperative research getting such
negative wraps on here...
Perhaps next time a twitcher with a penchant against banding/flagging birds
requests further information (aka RFI's...) on here on where to locate certain
species, they may pause to consider how much information has been collected by
valuable field research, such as banding, which has helped us understand much
about our birdlife's habits, movements, & indeed, where our birds can likely be
located....
The data derived from such field research & observation is sometimes, I
believe, taken for granted...
Cheers,
Martin Cachard
Cairns
0428 782 808
> From:
> To: ; ;
> Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:04:15 +1100
> CC:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Short Pied Oystercatcher
>
> I do not want to start up a debate about the pros and cons of banding, as
> that has happened too often on this site, but I can't leave Mike's Carter's
> assertion that bird bands and clams are the major cause of toe loss in
> Oystercatchers unchallenged. Firstly bands are placed on the tarsus or
> tibia of oystercatchers where they would have no effect on the toes of the
> birds. Clams/pipis may be the cause but fishing line is also a real threat.
> I am aware of a number of incidents where fishing line has caused damage to,
> or the loss of, an oystercatcher's leg. In one case the bird was not banded
> and in another the bird was carrying a numbered metal bird on one tibia
> (above the joint) and a flag on the other tibia. The bird with the band and
> flag only had fishing line on the lower legs and there was none tangled
> around the band. Despite this it was implied that the flag had caused the
> problem. Once a bird is banded or flagged it is convenient to blame the
> banding/flagging for any injury that befalls the bird even when it is
> clearly not the case. I know of no proven case of a band or a flag
> injuring the leg or legs of oystercatchers. Mike's observation of an
> oystercatcher carrying a number of bands would relate to the former practice
> of placing one numbered stainless steel band, along with a number of colour
> bands, usually made of plastic or similar, on both legs. This was the case
> in Victoria and birds carrying these bands have been recorded as far from
> the banding site as the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, where no
> inconvenience was observed. Despite this it is now usual practice to place
> only one numbered stainless steel band on one tibia and an engraved flag on
> the other tibia, thus reducing the number of bands used. It is most
> unlikely that Mike's limping oystercatcher was limping because of the bands.
> It may have injured its leg in a number of ways including being caught in a
> clam or pipi shell, being hit by a vehicle, flying into powerlines, being
> attacked by a dog or fox etc, etc. I am disappointed that banding has, once
> again, been blamed for injury to birds without the necessary evidence to
> support the claim. The extraordinarily high number of flag sightings of
> Pied Oystercatchers that I have banded and flagged on the NSW north coast at
> places such as Stradbroke Island, Queensland, and at Sydney and the south
> coast of New South Wales indicates that most young oystercatchers that are
> banded and flagged survive to an adult age despite the many natural and
> unnatural threats that they have to endure. Please, if anyone has
> documented evidence that shows that bands or flags have injured or are
> injuring oystercatchers please provide it to me as the aim of the banding is
> to assist in the conservation of a threatened species and not to harm it.
> But please I need evidence and not ill informed opinion.
>
> Greg
> Dr Greg. P. Clancy
> Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide
> PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460
> 0266493153 0429601960
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Carter
> Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 2:28 PM
> To: David Clark ; Jude Latt
> Cc:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Short Pied Oystercatcher
>
> Although fishing line and hooks cause the maiming and deaths of many birds I
> do not think it likely that it is the major cause of toe loss in
> Oystercatchers. I suggest two other causes, bird bands and clams are to
> blame. I've often seen Oystercatchers belaboured by up to five bands limping
> badly. Because of this many years ago the Rangers on French Island here in
> Victoria were reluctant to grant and possibly refused permission to band
> Oystercatchers there.
>
>
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