[texbirds] Re: bird calls
- From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: highlandbirds@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 10:04:33 -0500
the regulations quoted do nothing about bothering wildlife, only other
people.
This is a much beaten subject but there has never been a study that shows
there is much or any harm to birds. There are many anecdotes that have been
false and one infamous study that proved that if a bird hears 1 song in a
full day of another bird of the same species its adrenaline goes so high it
is in danger of dying or being unable to feed etc.
This would mean that common birds like american redstarts and yellow
warblers who hear more than 3,000 songs of their species in a day became
extinct in the year they either evolved or were created.
But.
Playing calls near a nesting bird can result in nest loss. The pelican
island tropical kingbirds nest near grackles and have lost several nests in
the last 2 years, probably to grackles. They object to grackles near the
nest and the grackles object back bringing in more grackles. I assume
playing a tape and disturbing the birds would do the same. Workmen resting
under the tree disturbs the birds too with the same consequences.
I know a photographer who or at least used to brag that (s)he plays calls
in the refuges in nesting season as it brings in the nesting birds for
photographs. Apparently, the pictures taken are all in the back of the
individuals closet and are never shown to anyone else. Calls at a
yellowthroat also would bring in grackles, redwings and marsh wrens all who
would like to find unguarded eggs when the yellowthroat scolds the
recording.
But many birders bird by ear and in a small area like boy scout woods or
quintana there is no way not to hear an iphone etc playing a call and
checkoff a bird for the day. But a redstart would not up and migrate out of
Smith Oaks when a call was played anymore than it would up and migrate when
it heard another redstart.
Simple courtesy for others and care for birds would say to never play calls
during the nesting season or where others might go birding.
I did play bewick's wrens calls last winter on one day to try and census
how many wrens were out there compared to what I found just by birding and
pishing out the window. But did not do towhee calls and so only saw both
the odd towhees once during the winter when they were common but not
calling when I went by. And hopefully contributed here to the questions
concerning the size of the wren influx, eastern vs western birds etc.
Posting rules that no one can enforce do little without explaining why
there are such rules serves little purpose. Rules that help the birds and
the experience of birding would serve a good purpose. In California, you
are not allowed to get out of the car or open a door other than at
designated spots on tour loops. And there are far more birds on tour loops
than here in Texas where everyone seems to have to pop out of a car
whenever a bird is seen. Which scares the birds away so they cannot be seen
by anyone coming later in the day.
Maybe there need to be a birding license with educational requirements like
that required of hunters. Which would emphasize that the needs of the birds
come first and those of the birder/photographer way last.
On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 8:55 AM, highlandbirds@xxxxxxxxx <
highlandbirds@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Since the question asked about using "bird calls" and the answers have
> been about playing recorded calls, I am wondering if mimicking birds by
> voice or whistle would also be considered "harassment".
>
> David Bryant
> Kingsland Tx.
>
>
> -----Original message-----
>
> *From: *Laurie Foss <lauriefoss@xxxxxxxxx>*
> To: *wbburkett@xxxxxxx*
> Cc: *texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx*
> Sent: *Tue, May 29, 2012 07:57:19 CDT*
> Subject: *[texbirds] Re: bird calls
>
> Prohibited in both national wildlife refuges as well as state parks.
>
> The following is cited from this
> website<http://www.kolkatabirds.com/callplayback.htm>
> .
>
> Federal:
> *United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Department of the Interior.
> Subchapter C: The National Wildlife Refuge System. Part 27-Prohibited Acts.
> Subpart
> G<http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2007-title50-vol6/xml/CFR-2007-title50-vol6-part27.xml#seqnum27.72>—Disturbing
> Violations: Light and Sound Equipment: § 27.72 Audio equipment: “The
> operation or use of audio devices including radios, recording and playback
> devices, loudspeakers, television sets, public address systems and musical
> instruments so as to cause unreasonable disturbance to others in the
> vicinity is prohibited.*
>
> *Code of Federal Regulations; Title
> 36<http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=c948c50ffa0057cd2ac21fbfe34468f5&rgn=div8&view=text&node=36:1.0.1.1.2.0.1.8&idno=36>--
> Parks, Forests, and Public Property; Chapter I – National Park Service,
> Department of the Interior; Part § 2.12 Audio disturbances: “(a) The
> following are prohibited:
> (1) Operating motorized equipment or machinery such as an electric
> generating plant, motor vehicle, motorized toy, or an audio device, such as
> a radio, television set, tape deck or musical instrument, in a manner: (i)
> That exceeds a noise level of 60 decibels measured on the A-weighted scale
> at 50 feet; or, if below that level, nevertheless; (ii) makes noise which
> is unreasonable, considering the nature and purpose of the actor's conduct,
> location, time of day or night, purpose for which the area was established,
> impact on park users, and other factors that would govern the conduct of a
> reasonably prudent person under the circumstances.*
>
> State:
> TPWD's Rules address wildlife in their General Rules &
> Regulations<http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/parkinfo/rules_and_regulations/>,
> 53.134 Rules of Conduct, Section C, number 3, Wildlife, It is an offense
> for anyone to (A) harm, harass, disturb, trap, confine, catch, possess,
> or remove any wildlife, or portions of wildlife from a unit of the state
> park system, except by a permit issued by the director or as provided by
> the Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 62, Subchapter D; . Playing tapes is
> considered "harassment", so it is also prohibited in state parks.
>
> Laurie Foss
> Austin
> www.jbjourneys.com
> Adventure Travel to
> Central America
> and Beyond
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 6:31 AM, Winnie <wbburkett@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> I was wondering if bird calls are allowed in national wildlife refuges
>> and Texas state parks.
>>
>> Winnie Burkett
>> Friendswood & the Bolivar Peninsula
>>
>
>
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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