Hi all,
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When shutting down a debate, just a tad bit of?generosity (find something) to the other side is in order.
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The banding?issue may not be appropriate for tweeters, but I?can't go along with it being reduced to?only two positions?and then?one being declared the winner.??
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Of course a bird not re-found is not therefore dead from banding and?of course banders are?dedicated to birds and their safety,?but there are many legitimate questions that can be asked about this practice.??
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?An obvious one is what is left to learn from general, non-study-specific banding?? A question that should bother any one with a passing?knowledge of migration is what are the effects of the extra wieght on long-distance migrants and aerial hunters?and?could science even answer that question with its current capabilities?? Obviously birds like Warblers?are built?to shave every?hundredth-of-a-gram off their body-wieght, which is why these birds are so fragile.?(And don't reply that Warblers are caught year-after-year, that's a variation?of the Dipper argument.)? I believe there should also be questions raised when the only or main?reason for a banding project?is to expose youngsters to birds or entertain members of?the public?in the hopes it will get them?interested in conservation.?
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This issue can be parsed and people can be against banding in some situations and still love all of you banders out there,?including?my dearly beloved?bird-bandin' father-in-law!
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Best all,
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Ed Newbold