Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
effects is by using plasticine to fill the space between standard size bands and
the leg (Blums et al. 1994). With this innovation, young birds can be banded
without the risk of the large band injuring the bird or slipping off the leg.
Band color can influence bird behavior. Burley (1985) noted that for cap-
tive zebra finches (
Poephila guttata
), interactions among the sexes and mortal-
ity were influenced by legband color. Among wild zebra finches, Zann (1994)
found no differences in survival or body condition associated with legband
color, but in one colony females that paired with red-banded males laid more
eggs than females paired with males not banded with red. These results and
others (table 2.3) reveal that the effects of color banding can be complex
because they vary by species and experimental and environmental conditions.
The conspicuousness of color bands has been enhanced by attaching streamers
of the same color to the band. However, the durability of streamers and fading
as well as birds attempting to remove the streamers (Platt 1980) are problems.
Color marking also has been accomplished by placing colored tape that con-
trasts with the plumage on several adjacent flight or tail feathers (Ritchison
1984). Also, feathers can be dyed or painted to enhance detectability, or a por-
tion of colored feather can be used to replace a natural feather (Young and
Kochert 1987; Handel and Gill 1983). However, like color banding, color
marking of feathers can cause either significant (Goforth and Baskett 1965) or
negligible (Wendeln et al. 1996) effects, depending on various conditions.
Neckbands, which are similar to legbands, have been used on long-necked
bird species because they are more easily seen and read. In some cases, neck-
bands have been found to affect bird survival (Castelli and Trost 1996). Pata-
gial tags, also known as wing tags, are used to enable identification of individ-
ual waterfowl. However, in a study of American coots (
Fulica americana
),
patagial tags were associated with loss of body mass when compared with neck-
banded controls (Bartelt and Rusch 1980). In other species, the use of wing
tags may result in wounding, changes in migration times, and reduced repro-
ductive success (Sallaberry and Valencia 1985; Southern and Southern 1985).
There are other types of bird markers, many having been shown to have
effects on birds (table 2.3). For example, titanium dioxide, which was a use-
ful marker on some species, was found to be deleterious to several raptor
species (Barton and Houston 1991). Fluorescent bead markers can be spread
in water, from which they attach to waterfowl, and apparently cause no irrita-
tion or detectable physical change in the birds (Godfrey et al. 1993). However,
the overall efficacy of the marker is subject to exposure time, bird activity,
marker transfer among birds, and equipment required for recognition of
marked animals.
