Subject: [Tweeters] What happens to 'lost' birds?
Date: Sep 29 17:18:13 2005
From: Guttman, Burt - GuttmanB at evergreen.edu


From: Guttman, Burt
Sent: Thu 9/29/2005 5:17 PM
To: nick page
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] What happens to 'lost' birds?

Nick raises an interesting question, and while I myself don't have an answer, I hope someone has access to some data that would help to answer it. Take the example of the Redwing. Although strong winds might be a factor in some cases, birds like this may also appear in the wrong places because there's something wrong with their internal clock/navigation mechanism; instead of heading more directly south, it headed eastward and then south. So assume it survived the winter--no nasty raptors attacking it--and then its internal mechanism tells it to head north again. Would that mechanism be defective in such a way that it would take the Redwing to some place in the American north, or would it direct the bird back to its proper Asian location? I don't suppose anyone banded that Redwing. And even if they did, the chances of someone else recovering the bird and recording the band are pretty slim, I should think. So there may not be data to tell us more about the situation. But I think it's a fascinating question, natheless.

Burt Guttman
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu
Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S. E., Olympia, 98503

________________________________

From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu on behalf of nick page
Sent: Thu 9/29/2005 4:37 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] What happens to 'lost' birds?

I've been wondering if anyone knows what happens to birds that are way out
of their normal range, especially ones that are on their own. While a lot of
birds migrate long distances with seemingly little trouble, fall brings a
lot of rarities and unusual birds.

I assume this is because juveniles don't really know where they are going so
well their first year and maybe due to strong winds blowing birds off
course. While being great for us birders to see and add to our life lists, I
can't help but wonder if some of these birds are doomed. For example, what
happened to last winter's redwing? Do birds like that try and get 'home' or
do they seem happy spending the rest of their days with similar birds?

Cheers,
Nick Page
Ferndale, WA
mailto:nickpage502 at hotmail.com


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