Subject: Bird Longevity
Date: May 27 14:56:48 2003
From: Eugene Kridler - kridler at olypen.com


Chandler Robbins had recaptured a Laysan Albatross on Sand Island,
Midway Atoll which he had banded there as a breeding adult 51 years
previous. He had been banding albatross there for a number of years in a
bird hazard to aircraft study when Midway was a Naval Air Station.

In the winters of 1964 and 1965 I had helped Chan in this study, and in
1965, we had banded 6,000 Laysans and recaptured 9,000 others previously
banded. Our arms were a mess of bite marks because we were kind of slow
at times grabbing or releasing the birds which have long and sharp
bills. But they would give you a friendly slice unlike Boobies who would
rip and tear with their serrated bills. Our boots would be impregnated
with used squid oil as birds would upchuck on you as a defensive
measure. Peehheww!

The Bird Banding Laboratory at Patuxent Research Station has longevity
records of American birds. Laysan and Black-footed Albatross 30-40
years old is rather common. For example: Black-footed Albatross 40 years
8 months, White Tern 35 years 11 months, Sooty Tern 35 years 10 months,
Arctic Tern 34 years, Atlantic Puffin 31 years 11 months, Caspian Tern
29 years 6 months, Greater Frigatebird 37 years, Greater Sandhill Cranes
29 years 3 months. Get this - Mourning Dove 31 years 4 months! Average
age, however, is something else again. So is longevity for huntable
species.

A biologist does many, many other things other than looking at birds
through binocs. That is fun and games. Rasslin' with politicians, land
exploiters-er-developers, poachers, the military, land owners,
know-it-alls, apathetic public, etc. is something else again.

Gene Kridler
Olde, Really Old, Broken Down Biologist