[TN-Bird] Re: Loving some birds to death by banding
- From: Florida Nature Tours <fnt@xxxxxxx>
- To: wtthornton@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 13:33:29 -0500
Dear Mr. Thornton,
I'll do my best to explain a few points that you're a little mixed up
on.
"William T. Thornton" wrote:
>
> TN-Birders,
>
> As a bird-watcher and not an ornithologist (all my graduate school training
> in field zoology was under the tutelage of an ichthyologist), I appreciate
> all of you who took the time to reply to my post, LOVING SOME BIRDS TO DEATH
> BY BANDING. There were several replies posted directly to the TN-BIRD list
> and I received several replies directly to my email account not posted here
> at the discussion group. Some of you, by the way, have a wicked sense of
> humor! I am always amazed at how this medium for an exchange of ideas and
> information can be so educational, timely, and cost efficient!
>
> My original premise (that we are running the risk of loving some species of
> birds to death) seems most evident. None of the replies addressed that
> primary premise. No one seems to want to address the fact that if a
> particular species of bird is in short numbers, that perhaps we should leave
> that species alone in the environment in which we find it.
I don't know of any banding project that involves a
critically endangered species specifically. There may be projects on
such species that are not banding projects, but if the birds need to
be handled for other purposes anyway they go ahead & put a band on
them. I agree with you that we should not mess with birds more than
necessary, especially those that are endangered. But, keep in mind
that most of the time a species is in trouble it's because of some
human activity that directly has caused the problem. Good examples of
this would be: Trees that are cut before they are in the proper
condition for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to excavate for their nest
cavities & shooting Bald Eagles for sport. We know how to correct
these problems. But some indirect man caused problems like zillions of
cowbirds in Kirtland Warbler habitat made it necessary for humans to
go in & correct the problem that our habitat changing had caused. Most
people in the know would tell you that the direct intervention in
their habitat save the warbler from extinction & the numbers are now
higher than ever recorded. There are times when man must step in with
a hands on approach to save a species. Banding has always been part of
it & never screwed things up. I could go on talking about Florida
Scrub Jays Condors, Swans Whoopers, & on & on & on. But Have to get
ready for the Lake Placid Xmas Count tomorrow & need to split soon!
Sure, look at it (but not in such droves as to frighten it away) and
admire it and photograph it (but be careful with too many flashguns)
-- and if it doesn't present itself when you think it should, be
careful in the use of noise (pishing, recordings, banging on the side
of the tree, etc) to make it show itself.
Knowledgeable people who use common sense don't cause these
kinds of problems.
>
> I have learned in all of this that the recovery rate on the bands placed on
> birds varies greatly by species: birds that are hunted have the highest
> return rate (in the range of 20% or so); song-bird bands have very low
> recovery rates -- from less than 0.2% to about 2%. Overall, the band
> recovery rate for all species is in the range of 6% to 7%.
>
> The one example of the Calliope Hummingbird (in Ohio) killed in the banding
> process is an isolated event -- but it still proves my point that in some
> cases the entire known population (100%) of a species in a specific county in
> a specific state is killed by banding. Birds in plentiful supply can be
> banded all you wish -- but when you are dealing with "one-of-a-kind" perhaps
> it is best not to bother the bird for fear of loving it to death.
>
I think you misunderstand what a rare bird is all about, & I
don't have time to go into it in more detail at this time, but even if
that particular hummer was the only one in the whole state or the
whole SE US it's utterly irrelevant. Species such as western hummers
are showing up in greater numbers because of habitat destruction in
Mexico, global warming & other weather trends, & God knows what else &
banding projects are important in solving the problems. Very little
collecting goes on anymore (unless you count a certain area of LA),
(the state not the town), & the few bird deaths that do result from
banding or any other related projects result in valuable specimens
being obtained. That may sound cold hearted, but it's not. No one in
their right mind would ever think of & probably never even be
permitted to do a project on an endangered species if the project
would worsen the situation. A good example would be the use of common
surrogate species before trying the same activity with the endangered
one. I site the examples of Prairie Warblers/Kirtlands with radio
transmitters, Sandhill cranes/Whoopers in a number of projects, Andean
Condors/California Condors in breeding projects.
> Just because we can do something doesn't mean that we should -- and just
> because we can report the presence of a "one-of-a-kind" species of birds on
> our property to a bander with a valid permit to band doesn't mean we should
You're very possibly well intentioned, but you are 100%
absolutely WRONG!!!!!!!!
-- and just because a bird-watcher who has a permit to band doesn't
mean he or she should!
>
Some birds in some compelling rare circumstances that's true.
> One poster even suggested that since the Calliope was so far from its range
> that it was probably "lost" and weak anyway -- as if that makes killing it a
> justifiable act.
No, not if you killed it for fun & then threw the dead bird
out. But if it's one of those rare times that a weakened or sick bird
does die during banding, the banding was still justified & the right
thing to do. If their was a way that that bander could have known that
the bird was going to die I'm sure he/she wouldn't have banded it. I
hope that is safely resting in a good museum tray right now.
There is no question that the banding of birds has been of tremendous
value in the scientific study of ornithology -- and there is no
question that we probably need many more carefully designed and
carefully implemented scientific studies that would require banding.
But to indiscriminately band birds because they are "lost" or out of
their range seems callous and self-serving when the risk to the bird
is its very survival.
It may seem that way to you, but if you have the education,
knowledge, & life experience that many banders have you might think
differently.
>
> Perhaps we should also question why the United States has the highest
> concentration of banders in the world. Do we really need so many
> bird-watchers with a permit to band?
>
Most probably we need more!!! It's not the same thing as
having the highest murder rate!!
> Most all species of birds have been included in numerous previous research
> studies -- to justify banding a "one-of-a-kind" species to just learn where
> it came from seems an awful risk in light of the fact that that information
> is readily available to anyone willing to spend the time reading or
> researching. Just because the study was done a decade ago or for that
> matter, ten decades ago as banding in the U.S. is now 100 years old, doesn't
> mean the study is flawed and you should start all over again. I don't have
> to band a Calliope Hummingbird to know what its normal range is, what its
> breeding range is, and where it has been sighted previously -- all that
> information is already available.
>
The previous paragraph illustrates that you have only the most
minimal knowledge of the science of ornithology. I'm reminded of the
old adage that "a little knowledge is dangerous." The birds of the
world would be much better off if you knew nothing at all, or much,
much more than you know now. I do not mean this to be insulting, but
it is an incredibly frustration situation to try to explain things to
a person who don't have the basic knowledge of the subject.
> One study I believe should be done is to investigate why after a year of
> numerous Eastern U.S. sightings of "stray" hummingbirds far from their normal
> Western range is there often a year with almost no sightings in the east of
> the same species? Does all the banding during the plentiful year kill them
> off? Couldn't we all agree that for a few years we will leave these tiny
> creatures alone except for visual observations and see if they can establish
> themselves as a breeding group here in the east? Of course such a study
> would require a ban on banding during the winter months and then during the
> breeding season of stray hummers, wouldn't it? I, for one, will not report
> the presence of any "stray" or "lost" hummers at my feeders (but I will be
> happy to share with any of you how I kept my hummingbird feeder "juice" warm
> during below zero degrees here on the Plateau feeding a "lost stray" a few
> seasons ago).
>
Same comment as after the last paragraph.
> And finally, thanks to all of you who invited me to your banding stations,
> homes, or sent me your telephone numbers. I know all I need to know about
> banding, thank you.
That's you're number 1 problem, you think you know all you
need to know about a subject when in fact your knowledge is almost
nil! Are we all nuts trying to educate you or are we wasting our
valuable time?????????????
It is clear that all of you on this discussion group who have banding
permits are kind and generous people who love birds. All I ask is
that you think twice about banding the "one-of-a-kind" strays -- and I
pray that you don't kill out a species of birds in a region by "loving
it to death by banding."
>
I hope your cat doesn't either, the chances are just about
the same!!!
> Regards,
>
> Terry Thornton
> Rinnie, TN (North of Crossville on the Cumberland Plateau)
If you turned in every bird your cat killed to a museum we
might have something to talk about, but barring that unlikely
situation I think I'll give up on Liza Doolittle Thornton! Happy
catting!!
Wes Biggs
Florida Nature Tours, Orlando 407/363-1360 fnt@xxxxxxx
http://www.floridanaturetours.com
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