I doubt that birders had an impact on the demise of the bunting, if it is truly gone, although I'm surprised the bird had lasted as long as it has - being a lone individual without the protection of a flock to reduce the possibility of being a lone target for the many predators out there. Being nearly all white and somewhat of a large passerine did not help either.

If it has been taken by a predator it probably was just a matter of timing and you really can't prove that birders had any impact positive or negative on this. I think that's a common fate to most vagrant birds. They are out of their typical element and brightly colored ones are easier to pick up by predatory birds, especially the vagrant passerines.

A couple of recent examples are the Red-flanked Bluetail on San Clemente Island this last fall - this crazy Asian Vagrant was picked off by a Loggerhead Shrike a few days after it was discovered. The bird was found headless; impaled on thorns within one of the Shrike's territories. I also seem to recall a Vermilion Flycatcher being taken by a Northern Shrike I believe in Montana a while back - oh and that well documented and video taped White-faced Ibis in New England being taken by the Peregrine last year. All examples of vagrants being caught by predators and not due to birders going out to look for them. The McKay's Buntings that were at Iona in 2004? I believe were also thought to have been taken by predators, please correct me if I'm wrong! I just don't want to see another flame war start as it did via the photographers - it is just not constructive.


Cheers,

Ryan

Ryan Shaw
Tacoma
rtshaw80 at hotmail.com