[tn-bird] The history and future of banding
- From: James Brooks <comeback@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Tennessee Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 07:49:09 -0400
A number of years ago I set out a Hav-a-hart trap to assess the rodent
population in a park that I was surveying. Instead I caught a Carolina
Chickadee, which I removed and was examining when it suddenly died in my
hand, probably of coronary arrest brought on by the stress of being
trapped and handled.
That event caused me to question the value of the data being achieved by
continuing banding programs for which there seemed to be no clear
objective. I specifically exempted the relatively new field of
hummingbird banding, which was providing lots of new data, and still is.
Banding is definitely a humane improvement from the practice of
collecting birds with a fowling piece, which was still practiced well
into this century. It is good technology in that it allows us to acquire
more data at less cost to the species, but there is still some cost, and
the process is still about as efficient as tossing a bottle into the
ocean with a number on it.
We probably have learned more about migrational patterns of larger birds
in a shorter time through radio tracking devices. My question now is,
can we further miniaturize these devices for small birds to the point
they would weight no more than a leg band? I believe the technology is
there if we can now put 20 megabytes into a Palm Pilot - something shown
at a computer show last week.
Can this technology be applied to ornithology rather than creating
laser-guided bombs that can be sent in the doorway of a shepherd's hut
10,000 miles from a bomber's base? Can we create a radio tracking device
that weighs no more than a leg band which would allow us to band a
relatively small sample or migratory birds and learn more about their
habits than mass, non-selective banding?
In 1995 I predicted that within 5 years the Internet would allow a field
birder who finds a rarity, connect his laptop to a cell phone and
transmit its image to a state records committee and have the bird
recognized as a new state record while other birders were still en
route. Except for the rapid response of state record committees, that's
almost a routine happening today. Back then I was laughed out of the
room as few TOS chapters in 1995 had anyone online outside the university.
I imagine the argument against miniturization of banding-tracking
devices will be the cost of developing the technology. In 1996, when I
was putting digital images on the Internet with a borrowed, thoroughly
crappy digital camera that cost its owner over $700, I predicted that
within five years cameras of that ilk would be given away like Bic
lighters or calculators. My understanding of economics and greed in
others is at fault here, but better digital cameras are around $100 now,
the price point people will pay, and glory be, our entire photo staff at
the Johnson City Press is now using digital Nikons and we are in the
process of phasing out the darkroom and film chemistry altogether.
The question is really one of applying available technology to the task
we would like to accomplish.
Once again, I would exempt hummingbirds for one more generation.
The real challenge lies not in technology, but in educating our fellow
humans to stop destroying habitat on the only planet we have, and to
stop reproducing ourselves on a geometric progression. I sure wish I had
an answer for that one.
James Brooks
Jonesborough, TN
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