Vol
6 No 3
Dec 99
Common Tailorbird
Lesser Known Predators
of Sungei Buloh
Butterfly Monitoring and Introduction
at Sungei Buloh
Why we should NOT feed the monkeys
Bird Ringing
at Sungei Buloh
Sluice Gate Management
International Coastal Cleanup
Sep 99
Care for Nature Family Hunt 99
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Bird
Ringing |
What
are the flight patterns of migratory birds?
Why do certain birds behave a certain way?
Adeline Chia provides
more details.
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A
bird in hand is worth
two in the bush |
Bird
ringing or banding is a skill not known to many, but it is an essential
skill for staff of Sungei Buloh Nature Park who regularly participate
in ringing sessions throughout the year. Much can be learnt by putting
a ring around the tarsus (leg) of captured birds.
Simple? Much preparation has to be done before data is to be collected.
A passerine ringing session starts with a recce for a suitable site
and the minor pruning (if necessary) of vegetation in the area to
facilitate the setting up of mist nests. |
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Mist nets
are usually put up a day before the actual ringing, since a typical
passerine ringing session in the Park starts at 6am! The nets are
then rolled up or "closed" so that no birds get trapped before we
are ready.
Understanding the habits of the birds help to increase yield.
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Preparation
for the catch |
The first catch of the
day is supposedly the largest as our subjects are on their way out for their
first meal when dawn breaks. Therefore it is necessary to open the nets
before first light. Half asleep, we will make our way to the site to open
the nets. By the first net check, we are usually wide-awake and eager to
ring the early birds.
For wader ringing, the ringing site is usually one of our brackish water
ponds. Nets are set up before dusk on the day itself. When night falls we
plod into the ponds to open the nets with headlights and torches to guide
us. Wader ringing means having to wallow in the mud since the nets are set
on the mudflats. Sinking in up to the thigh, smelly and filthy fellows we
become as we slosh in the mud each time we go for a net check! The catch
for waders peaks at high tide when more waders fly in to mudflats to roost.
However, when the weather
is bad and it starts to rain, you can see us scrambling to close nets immediately!
The safety of our feathered friends must never be compromised.
| A
net round (or net check) is conducted every 30 to 45 minutes to check
for birds caught in the net. Captured birds are retrieved and brought
back to the 'ringing stations' where measurements such as wing length,
moult, tarsus diameter, weight, age, sex are recorded. A ring is also
placed around the bird. Each captured bird therefore carries a unique
identification ringing number that serves to provide more information
if it is recaptured. Ringed birds provide a host of data used for
research, such as behaviour, migration patterns and longevity. |
Obtaining
vital statistics |
The
ringing team |
The
ringed bird is then released. Great care is taken when handling birds
to avoid any injuries. This process of net-checking, retrieving, recording
data and release continues until evening before the sun sets for passerine
ringing and the before day breaks for wader ringing when the nets
are closed and kept. It is another fulfilling day of work before the
next ringing session comes along. |
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WETlands