Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Ethics question about Snowy Owls
Date: Dec 5 16:44:30 2005
From: Mike Patterson - celata at pacifier.com


I think one should always ask "is it appropriate to band this
particular bird?" especially given the sensitivity surrounding
"special" birds that everyone wants to see. I can remember the
hubbub surrounding certain falcon not too many years ago, especially
when a few of the overly list conscious among us thought it had
been scared away before they could see it.

But I've also noticed quite a few people asking questions like:
1. How old are these birds? are they male or female?
2. What condition are they in? We hear they've been starved into
these southbound irruptions.
3. Where are these owls coming from? Are they gonna die here? or
do they make it back north? Are the "echo" irruptions in subsequent
years returning birds or new ones?

It is extremely difficult to get at the answers to these questions
without catching and banding some owls. Most of what we think we know
comes from owls that visit the Great Plains which occur with much
higher frequencies from winter to winter. It would be a shame to let
the opportunity slip past us if we have the capacity to band a few of
these guys. And most owls banded in other studies did not feel compelled
to leave after being captured and banded (just as the NORTHERN HAW-OWL
banded captured in Idaho a couple years ago stayed, inspite of the
ensuing firestorm over banding it before the guys from California could
get their plane reservations in order).

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

Christmas Bird Count Calendar and FAQ for Oregon and Washington
http://home.pacifier.com/~mpatters/cbc/cbc_WAOR_reg.html