Hi all
As some of you would know, many observers have raised the subject of
restricting or ceasing bird banding on various occasions but this
request is always met with great resistance. Bird banders love the birds
too but they see them mostly as a research resource and do not seem to
feel for their plight. We know that most small flagged waders never
return after their first flagged migration because we rarely see a bird
with an old worn flag. Most of us recognise there will always be an
occasional survivor in some populations but it seems that most of the
banded birds perish. Yes the proof to demonstrate that waders are not
harmed should be the responsibility of banders but apart from some
statistical manipulations using existing data, i cannot find any
impartial research projects where the primary objective is to determine
banding mortality.
Common sense tells me that any small migratory wader such as a stint or
a curlew sandpiper etc. carrying up to 5 leg flags/bands etc. etc. is
going to have a hard time crossing the planet twice a year. Their
migration must be hard enough without the impediments of flags and
bands. They will have a hard time competing for available food and the
probability of tangling with fibrous algae must be increased
exponentially. Some examples of leg flagging seem needless and almost
certain to cause losses of the targeted birds. There are pics
circulating of Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks flagged at the nest wearing
multiple bands and flags. We have had examples of Red-necked Phalaropes
with leg flags; these birds must swim to survive and what are there
chances of surviving with a leg flag attached? Masses of flagged
Sanderling rapidly running up and down beaches dodging wave action while
attempting to feed. Some of us think this is an outrage.
For many years from the mid 1960's Sanderling could be observed in SE
South Australia sometimes in flocks more than 700. Suddenly flagging
started and it was not unusual to see dozens or more; flagged birds
trailing the main flock struggling to run up and down the beach
following the waves. Where the local population remained constant for
at least 20 years while dodging domestic dogs and 4WDs and beach
fisherman, within a few years of the first flagging exercises, the local
population crashed to below 400 and is still diminishing The alarming
fact is that we rarely see any Sanderling in the area with old flags
returning. Where are they? Leg flagging local Sanderling continues
and there is always an explanation such as first year birds go elsewhere
or some other convenient story announced to excuse absent flagged birds
on their return. The banding protocol used to state that a maximum of
3% of waders will be flagged. I had the impression that meant 3% of the
birds caught or of the birds in a local area. Silly me. Once when I
raised the subject that more than 20% of a local Sanderling population
were seen with leg flags, it was explained that the number of flagged
Sanderling i have seen would be much less than 1% of the world population.
I do not believe information from banding/flagging sightings
particularly aids conservation arguments. The cohort data discovered is
interesting but in most cases the conservation significance of that
information is no more valuable than field sightings of waders at the
same location with or without bands. The wader counts of the past
were a fantastic exercise and engaged many hundreds of birding
enthusiasts but now many of us will not participate or share information
for fear that the birds we report will be targeted. Recently for no
justified purpose, the migratory waders that visit Thompson Beach near
Adelaide have been targeted for Canon netting and leg flagging.. They
were safe before the so called shorebird 2020 conservation programs were
introduced and their numbers varied depending on the year but now I
expect we will see a constant decline in local populations as they are
cannon netted and flagged.
A few years ago the outrage of seal branding in Antarctica in the name
of seal conservation was exposed and stopped in its tracks thanks to a
few concerned scientists (whistle blowers) who had observed the sad
practice and said "That's enough" I am in favor of wader research
through counting and intensive field study. I think it is time to gear
up a political anti bird banding group to oppose what many think as a
destructive threatening process that offers very little if anything, to
the conservation and protection of birds.
Regards
Ian May
PO Box 110
St Helens, Tasmania n7216
0428337956
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