Ringing as a contribution to bird conservation and research

During 2005 and 2006 A Rocha carried out bird ringing (banding) to investigate bird biology and migration, sometimes concentrating on single species (e.g. European Rollers Coracias garrulus in France, see Roller studies in the Vallée des Baux), at other times using mist nets to sample migratory and resident species (e.g. MAPS project, see below). In Portugal a wide variety of migratory and resident species are ringed at the field study centre but it is often the ringing of petrels at a nearby rocky headland that creates the most sensational news because of the high proportion of birds that already have rings fitted, having been captured near their breeding grounds in Scotland, Faeroe Islands and Norway. In June 2005 over 430 European Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus were caught and released and a further 133 caught in 2006 brought the grand total for this site to 3579 petrels (over more than 20 years of study). At the time of publication, with another successful season earlier in 2007, the total has topped 4000 petrels.

The director of A Rocha Kenya, Colin Jackson, continues to lead training courses for potential bird ringers and each year at peak migration time takes part in a ringing spectacle at Ngulia Safari Lodge in Tsavo West National Park where in 2005 31,926 Palaearctic migrants of 39 species and 157 Afrotropical birds of 54 species were ringed in just under three weeks. Conditions were significantly poorer in 2006 with only 8,758 Palaearctic birds ringed of 29 species and 217 Afrotropicals of 60 species. Colin has recently proposed a revised new system for aging Afro-tropical birds in the hand.

Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea

	2005		2006
Country	No. of birds	No. of species	No. of birds	No. of species
Czech	434	42	347	38
France	503	38	929	46
Kenya*	1141	60	579	19
Lebanon	1795	54	875	30
Peru	78	13	84	14
Portugal	1784	52	1043	47
UK	270	54	360	29
USA	123	20	579	25

*Figures are for the seasons 2004-2005 and 2005-2006

MAPS banding in the USA

A Rocha USA has completed a second season of banding on the coast of Maryland as part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship programme (MAPS), run by the Institute for Bird Populations. When combined with data gathered at more than 500 other MAPS stations throughout the USA and Canada, it will help to create an overall picture of the status of bird populations in North America. The diversity of habitats at the banding station was found to support a good range of breeding birds, including five species of regional conservation concern: Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus, Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus, Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum, Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus and Field Sparrow Spizella Pusilla. The land managers have been advised on the conservation issues relating to these species.

Project leader: Andy Sprenger

Partners: Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and Environmental Services Division, MAPS