[EBB Sightings] BIRDER BEHAVIOR The ABA code of Ethics

from Don Powers:
It would be silly to think that excessive disturbance of ANY sort would
not
potentially have a negatively impact birds.   I have actively studied
birds
for 30 years and can tell you that calling up birds with tapes, iPods, or
whatever is a relatively minor issue compared to a number of other things
we
do as humans to gain a better view.  For example, I can tell you that
without a doubt the extensive use of artificial feeders can dramatically
increase bird densities and concentrations to levels that are totally
unnatural.  Do any of us really believe that predators are oblivious to
this?  I have seen numerous examples of heightened predation in
feeder-supported populations.  (I could go on, but haven't the time for
along email.)

Don makes good points.  Think about how many birds die EACH day from all 
of us climbing into our vehicles and driving somewhere.  Thousands and 
thousands.  Think about how many OBOLers and others have CATS and let 
them roam freely outside where they are well known killers of birds.  If 
you think playing songs of birds has an impact, I certainly hope you are 
willing to give up your cats freedom or driving your car, because they 
are causing far more damage to bird populations than playing bird songs. 
    That is just two examples.

Larry McQueen writes:

Greg has a fascinating question that I would like to expand.  There are
many 
avian mimics in nature, with songs that incorporate excellent imitations
of 
the songs of some of the species around them..  To what extent are those 
other species affected by these imitations?  I venture to say that there
is 
zero influence.  Starlings imitate territorial species such as
White-crowned 
Sparrows, robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, and meadowlarks.  They would not
do 
this if they were repeatedly attacked by these species.  Yet, during the 
breeding season, one little portion of playback can send a Song Sparrow
into 
paroxysms, and some birds will attack the tape recorder!   I can do a bad

imitation that will have Black-capped Chickadees fluttering around my
head. 
Why don't birds ingore tape recorders and my low-fidelity imitations as
they 
ignore starlings, mockingbirds, Purple Finches, and all the other birds
that 
make perfect imitations?

I would like to presume to share this message from Steve Smith to the 
Neotropical Ornithology list-serve, since this issue is now a common
thread. 
We may be at a crucial point with the use of this technique because it
has 
become so prevalent.  It definitely needs to be evaluated, but there is
as 
yet, no hard science with which to make a judgement, even if we wish to
take 
precautions.  -- Larry McQueen

> Dear NEOORN colleagues:
> Recently I had a conversation with the manager of an ecolodge in
Central
> America. This lodge is situated within a region of very highly
significant
> conservation value and is immensely popular with both birders and
> natural-history enthusiasts.
> The lodge is reconsidering its policy with respect to the use of sound
> playback, including the human voice, to "attract" birds -- i.e. the
> solicitation of responses to aural stimuli by the resident avifauna and
> hence to "make visible" otherwise reluctant or retiring birds. The
lodge
> is considering a new policy that might ban the use of playback use by
> visiting tourists and birding groups. A number of policies are
possible:
>     1. Unrestricted permission to use playback devices.
>     2. Absolute prohibition of playback devices.
>     3. Restriction on the use of playback devices to certain times
>        of the year or on a subset of trails.
>     4. Restrictions on playback to some species deemed particularly
>        vulnerable to negative effects of playback.
> Given the "demands" on birding-tour leaders to find target birds for
> clients, a ban is a potentially controversial decision from an economic
> standpoint and the management would therefore like to base its policy
on
> sound science. I was asked about this but I am not a professional
> ornithologist. I recommended to the manager that I solicit the input of
> the professionals on this list.
> So, what I need is some defensible input from ornithological
professionals
> on this issue, preferably backed up by citations to peer-reviewed
> literature. Is the use of playback devices harmful or harmless to
> Neotropical birds and if harmful, under what conditions?
> This query is likely to generate a lot of responses, so list members
may
> wish to respond to me privately off list (to
> smithsm at sciborg.uwaterloo.ca); I will undertake to provide an edited
(but
> unexpurgated) summary to the list in a few weeks.
> With thanks, in advance, for your advice and pointers to the
> literature.
> --
>  Steve Smith, Biology, Univ. Waterloo, Waterloo, ON Canada N2L 3G1
> This address is for information only. I make no claim that my views
> are those of the Biology Department or of the University of Waterloo.