[mou] birds and birders: continuing conversation

[Jim Williams]

Forward by Jim Williams
Wayzata

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Ted Lee Eubanks" <eubanks@io.com>
Date: June 9, 2005 7:54:18 AM CDT
To: "'Sheri Williamson'" <tzunun@mindspring.com>, 
<ohio-birds@envirolink.org>
Cc: <Haans@Neffp.com>, <penn0107@umn.edu>, <savetheriver@COX.NET>, 
<Conservationthroughbirding@yahoogroups.com>

Thanks for the note, Sheri. However, I would caution you about any
conclusions about cause of death. I recently returned from a trip to
Chiapas, where I learned of an incident that might shed light on this 
case.
A tour group had called a Tropical Screech-Owl onto an exposed perch 
through the use of a taped call. As the tour group enjoyed leisurely 
views of the screech-owl, a Mottled Owl swooped in and eliminated the 
competitor. Did birding lead to the screech-owl's demise? Certainly. 
While we may never know what caused the death of the redstart, your 
report certainly calls into
question the behavior of birders in the area and the potential impact 
on the
bird.

Haans Petruschke comments that "birding is the only sport I know of, 
with a
written code of this sort." As with much of his letter, he seems to have
done little research to support his contentions. Here is the "Fair 
Chase"
code of ethics from Boone and Crockett. I have inserted our recreation 
where
appropriate:

     1. Obey all applicable laws and regulations.

     2. Respect the customs of the locale where the hunting [BIRDING] 
occurs.

     3. Exercise a personal code of behavior that reflects favorably on 
your
abilities and sensibilities as a hunter [BIRDER].

     4. Attain and maintain the skills necessary to make the kill
[IDENTIFICATION} as certain and quick as possible.

     5. Behave in a way that will bring no dishonor to either the hunter
[BIRDER], the hunted [BIRD], or the environment.

     6. Recognize that these tenets are intended to enhance the hunter's
[BIRDER'S] experience of the relationship between predator [OBSERVER] 
and
prey [BIRD] , which is one of the most fundamental relationships of 
humans
and their environment.

 From the comments I have seen from you (Sheri) and others, I would doubt
that the behavior by some birders in Arizona reflected favorably on the
recreation. I would agree with most of us wish to use an ethical 
standard to
"enhance the birder's experience." The comment that "reports now of 50
birders scrambling about, actually running down the Comfort Springs 
Trail,
which is no trail to be running down, and near traffic jams on Carr 
Canyon
Road..." seems incompatible with an "enhanced" experience. The bird's
demise, of course, leaves this question unresolved. No bird, no birding.

The comment from Mr. Petruschke that "I feel the suggestion that 
birders are
to blame for the death of this bird is not only irresponsible and 
completely
without merit it is also has no basis in science and anyone who claims 
to be
practicing science and makes this assertion has no credibility 
whatsoever"
is one of those self-serving assertions that makes me cringe. Too much
hyperbole, too little fact. Events of this sort should always provoke
self-reflection on the part of the recreation. How else do we improve, 
or
progress? Surely Mr. Petruschke is not arguing for a static, 
tradition-bound
recreation not willing to advance.

Finally, I always love to see the shop-worn "the bird is lost" 
argument. The
bird is lost, therefore the bird is disposable. What always amazes me 
is how
this argument always ignores the thousands of incidences where "lost" 
birds
actually return year after year to the same area. Arizona and South 
Texas
are excellent examples of regions where the appearance of individual
rarities may portend future range expansions. Tropical Kingbirds and
Clay-colored Robins in South Texas began with the appearance of single
individuals as well. As Sheri notes, the Slate-throated Redstart is 
hardly a
long-distance vagrant. The bird has now been found in summer in West 
Texas
as well. Given the proximity of its native range to the U.S., and the
well-documented phenomenon of northern Mexican birds ranging northward 
in
recent years, I would be hesitant to characterize a Slate-throated 
Redstart
in Arizona as an anomaly (no more than the original Eared Quetzal or
Black-capped Gnatcatcher).

Ted Eubanks


-----Original Message-----
From: Sheri Williamson [mailto:tzunun@mindspring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 9:28 PM
To: ohio-birds@envirolink.org
Cc: Haans@Neffp.com; penn0107@umn.edu; savetheriver@COX.NET; 
eubanks@io.com
Subject: Re: "Loving" Birds To Death

Greetings, Ohio birders,

The BIRDWG05 listserv received a message today with an update on the
Slate-throated Redstart specimen: During preparation at the University
of Arizona, "it was determined that the bird had suffered trauma to
the back of the head and the right hip region...Outwardly the bird
showed no damage, as those who saw it in the field would attest. It
had some fat in the furcular depression (wishbone area) and weighed
7.9 grams; basically a healthy bird."

I'm as relieved as anyone that the evidence suggests a cause of death
unrelated to birding pressure and encouraged that the bird was
apparently healthy when it died. Nevertheless, given the intensity of
birding activity at its location and concerns expressed by some
observers about impacts on the habitat and other birds in the area
(many of which are nesting) as well as on the "target bird," there is
still ample cause for introspection on how we birders interact with
birds and their habitats. We share the outdoors with many other user
groups, and most of us would reasonably expect responsible members of
the hunting, angling, wildlife photography, hiking, mountain biking,
equestrian, and off-roading communities to do everything in their
power to encourage ethical behavior within their communities and to
acknowledge and address abuses for which members of their own
communities may be responsible. Isn't it reasonable for these people,
as well as the stewards of the lands we visit and even the birds
themselves, to expect members of the birding community to shoulder
similar responsibilities?

That said, it's never comfortable to feel as though you're the target
of accusations from either side of this issue. Though I didn't go
looking for the redstart, many of my friends and colleagues did, and I
wouldn't hold any one of them, or any other individual birder,
responsible even if the forensic evidence pointed the finger at "death
by birding." Those of us who take a stand in support of ethical
birding take a beating every time the subject comes up, but I'm sure I
speak for Ted Eubanks as well when I say that being hung in effigy
(and worse) is well worth it if raising and discussing the issues
makes life a little easier for the birds we watch.

Some of the remarks made by Haans Petruschke are at odds with the
facts and so require a response. Given the ample evidence to the
contrary, much of it documented by recreational birders (with the
blessings and gratitude of the ornithological community), it's
mystifying that some birders still make the knee-jerk assumption that
any bird occurring outside what we humans perceive to be its "normal"
range is a misfit living on borrowed time (= "expendable"). Stars may
not move around much, but birds do, and for such highly mobile
organisms "vagrancy" (emigration) may be an important strategy for
expanding into new areas of suitable habitat or recolonizing areas
from which they have been extirpated. I think Haans's
city-person-in-the-woods analogy was more apt than he realized: As
humans expanded their range, many members of our species died as they
traveled from Africa into Eurasia, from Siberia into North America,
from Europe and Africa to America, and across the Great Plains to the
West, but if many other human "vagrants" hadn't lived and prospered we
wouldn't be having this conversation.

A few names and places may help to jog Haans's memory: Rufous-capped
Warbler, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Streak-backed Oriole, Eared
Quetzal, White-eared Hummingbird, Berylline Hummingbird, and
Plain-capped Starthroat in Arizona. Aplomado Falcon in New Mexico.
Green-breasted Mango in Texas. Rufous, Calliope, Allen's, and
Buff-bellied hummingbirds in the Southeast. Costa's Hummingbird in
Oregon. Kelp Gull in Louisiana. Anna's Hummingbird in British
Columbia. All of these records represent success stories in that
individuals often presumed to be lost/doomed have exceeded human
expectations in lifespan, site fidelity, and/or reproduction in their
new homes. Some species have persisted in their new locations long
enough to become humdrum, while others have come and gone and often
come again. In the case of the wintering Rufous Hummingbirds,
multi-year returns of banded individuals and recoveries within the
core breeding range for the species suggest that at least some
"vagrants" are perfectly well oriented.

The Slate-throated Redstart was not stranded in a barren subdivision
on the outskirts of Tucson; it had managed to find habitat not unlike
that in which we find the species in the Sierra Madre Occidental. It
was also much closer to the nearest possible point of origin than most
people seem to realize. The map in "A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and
Northern Central America" by Howell and Webb is misleading, as the
species occurs regularly at least 70 miles farther north, within 180
miles of the Huachuca Mountains. It is also significant that it
appears to have been in good health just before died - lonely,
perhaps, but not starving.

This article on stress hormones in migratory birds may not be the one
obliquely referenced by Haans, but it addresses the exact same
endocrinological issue:

Rebecca L. Holberton, Jeffrey D. Parrish, John C. Wingfield.
Modulation of the Adrenocortical Stress Response in Neotropical
Migrants During Autumn Migration. Auk: 113(3): July-September 1996:
558-564

The following passages are quotes from the abstract:

"Lean, premigratory catbirds exhibited stress responses typical of
other nonlipogenic, nonhyperphagic bird species sampled on the
breeding or wintering grounds (i.e. low levels of corticosterone at
capture followed by significant increases over 1 h [hour]). In
contrast, fat, migratory catbirds sampled later in the season showed
significantly higher baseline levels of corticosterone at capture and
no significant increase in hormone levels with handling time."

"(1) an absence of a relationship between fat deposition and baseline
corticosterone levels illustrates the permissive nature of the
hormone, which remains elevated throughout the migratory period to
facilitate hyperphagia and lipogenesis independent of short-term
changes in energetic condition; and (2) further elevation of
corticosterone in response to acute stress is suppressed during
migration to protect skeletal muscle needed for flight."

While I appreciate and share Haans's interest in quantifying the
impact of birding activities on birds, these data clearly provide no
support for his conclusion that "[in] a normal population of birds
less than 1% of that population, are adversely affected by the
proximity of humans who intend them no harm."

I also appreciate Haans appending the ABA Code of Ethics to his
message - it's a bit large for a tattoo or even to carry in a wallet,
so we can all use a refresher on it from time to time. Apologies for
deleting it from this already overly long message, but here are links
to similar documents adopted by other organizations that represent
user groups we may meet in the great outdoors:

NRA Hunter's Code of Ethics
http://www.nrahq.org/hunting/nraethics.asp

British Columbia Wildlife Federation: Hunter Code of Ethics
http://www.bcwf.bc.ca/programs/core/hunethics.html

Code of Angling Ethics & Fly-fishing Code of Ethics
http://www.hitech-solutions.com/Trout/Ethics.htm

National Off-Road Biking Association's Code of Ethics
http://www.peaksnewsnet.com/mtnbike/ethics.html

North American Nature Photography Association Principles of Ethical
Field Practices (reprinted with ABA Code)
http://www.naturephotographers.net/ethics.html

Trapper's Code of Ethics
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/guides/furbearer/FBethics.asp

New York State Off Highway Recreational Vehicle Association Code of 
Ethics
http://www.nytroatv.org/about_us.htm

Ontario Trail Rider's Association Trail Rider's Handbook
http://www.otra.ca/handbook.htm

Treasure Hunter's Code of Ethics
http://www.treasurenet.com/misc/code.html

Good birding,

Sheri Williamson
Bisbee, Arizona
tzunun@mindspring.com
http://tzunun.home.mindspring.com

Haans@Neffp.com wrote:
> Hi Derric and Everyone Else,
>
> Below my comments is the American Birding Association's, code of 
> birding
> ethics.  Everyone should read review and distribute this code.
>
> Birding is the only sport I know of, with a written code of this sort. 
>  If
> we birders follow this code, and I believe that 99.73% of birders, 
> that is
> people interested in seeing and listing bird species in a particular
> geographic area, adhere to this code.  Based upon my own observations 
> in
the
> field, those who seek birds for other purposes are much less likely to
> follow this code.
>
> I agree with Bill Whan, it is easy to beat up birders and make them 
> feel
> guilty, but in the case of the AZ Slate-throated Redstart, an 
> individual
> well out of range and therefore outside of the normal population, I 
> feel
the
> suggestion that birders are to blame for the death of this bird is not
only
> irresponsible and completely without merit it is also has no basis in
> science and anyone who claims to be practicing science and makes this
> assertion has no credibility whatsoever.
>
> Several years ago we had a similar debate in Ohio that began after 
> someone
> asserted that getting into the scrub to observe passerines up close at
> Metzger Marsh was causing some harm to the birds because it was 
> increasing
> the stress level of the birds.  At the time someone did some research 
> and
> found some science had been done on birds mist netted for banding.  In
this
> study it was found that mist netted birds did not have elevated levels 
> of
> stress related hormones compared to the control groups.  My own 
> conclusion
> from this research: In a normal population of birds less than 1% of 
> that
> population, are adversely affected by the proximity of humans who 
> intend
> them no harm.
>
> Back to the AZ Redstart. This was not a bird inside the normal (3 
> sigma)
> population, as it was outside it's normal range.  In general the 
> history
of
> extralimital passerines is not good.  Many die or just disappear, which
> would be normal and expected given their vagrancy from normal habitat,
food
> sources and social structures.  To anthropomorphize,  If a human who 
> lives
> in the city goes off and gets lost in the woods, and out of ignorance 
> dies
> because he or she cannot find food or is attacked by animals or does
> something else inappropriate. Do we blame the woods for killing that
person?
>
> Finally I believe there is one other element to this.  It is 
> selfishness
on
> the part of some scientists and wildlife professionals, who resent
amateurs
> being on their turf.  Ornithology and Astronomy are the only two fields
> where amateurs still make significant contributions.  Remember amateur 
> is
> not a pejorative term, and I believe we need to assert that, we 
> amateurs
> have as much right to conduct appropriate field observation as anyone
else.
>
> Haans Petruschke
> Kirtland, Ohio
>
[ABA Code of Ethics deleted]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ohio-birds-bounces@envirolink.org
> [mailto:ohio-birds-bounces@envirolink.org] On Behalf Of Derric 
> Pennington
> Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 11:45 AM
> To: Ohio-birds
> Subject: "Loving" Birds To Death
>
> Some food for thought...
>
>
>> From: "Ted Lee Eubanks" <eubanks@io.com>
>> Date: June 7, 2005 7:18:26 AM CDT
>> To: <Conservationthroughbirding@yahoogroups.com>
>> Subject: RE: [Conservationthroughbirding] "Loving" Birds To Death
>>
>> The recent note (included at end of this message) from Sheri reporting
>> the demise of the Arizona Slate-throated Redstart is, unfortunately,
>> hardly surprising or unexpected. Perhaps birders had a fatal impact,
>> perhaps not. But the lesson to be learned is the same. A growing (and
>> visible) segment of birding has become increasingly single-species
>> focused, placing concerns for habitat and biodiversity in subordinate
>> positions.
>>
>> I spent this past weekend in Ithaca, attending various Cornell Lab
>> board
>> meetings. On Friday the staff briefed us (exhaustively) about the
>> rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. While a marvel of
>> scientific
>> research and application (although the rediscovery came about by
>> chance, the
>> steps taken to confirm that discovery and secure the birds protection
>> are
>> the products of deliberate effort), the wild card in this deck is the
>> way in
>> which the recreational public will react to the news. In Tim
>> Gallagher's new
>> book, The Grail Bird, he quotes George Lowery as follows about an
>> earlier
>> rediscovery:
>>
>> "I have told no one where the observation and photographs were
>> made...you
>> know what would happen if the information became general knowledge.
>> There would be two hundred amateur bird watchers on planes from all
>> corners of the United States descending on the area tomorrow. And I
>> think that would be the worst possible development so far as the birds
>> themselves are concerned."
>>
>> For the past year we have been working with the World Birding Center 
>> in
>> South Texas, and we have faced a number of the issues related to the
>> discovery of rare birds (particularly this past winter). The closing 
>> of
>> Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park to vehicular traffic is a classic
>> example of
>> steps that needed to be taken to protect the resource from the
>> recreation.
>> Even today there are birders who remain steamed that they actually
>> might
>> have to walk to see the birds in their natural habitat (rather than
>> drive to
>> a feeder). The Valley has become a testing ground for finding ways to
>> immerse recreationists in the resource without placing that resource 
>> at
>> risk. In my opinion, this is still a work in progress.
>>
>> Birders (or at least a certain segment of birding) have become fixated
>> on
>> the single bird at the expense of the many. "Drive-by birding" has
>> become an
>> accepted (even preferred) practice. Birding has no version of "Fair
>> Chase."
>> In birding, anything goes.
>>
>> The fear expressed by Rob and others related to a fundamental
>> disconnection between the recreation and the resource is well founded.
>> For the past year Bob Ditton, John Stoll, David Scott, and I have
>> published a series of papers on the recreation of birding. For the
>> most part these papers have been carried by middle-tier journals,
>> since the human dimension of wildlife conservation has always been
>> considered of marginal value (not
>> "on-the-ground" conservation). The final paper is in press at this
>> time, and
>> addresses this very topic.
>>
>> In Nebraska we surveyed a broad population of wildlife viewers who 
>> were
>> attracted to the Platte River by the massing of Sandhill Cranes in the
>> spring. The survey included a contingent valuation model. We asked
>> viewers
>> about their willingness to pay for conservation of Sandhill Cranes, as
>> well
>> as their interest in paying for the conservation of Platte River
>> biodiversity. Here is a quote from that paper - "While it is
>> well-known that
>> biodiversity is integral to ecosystem stability and health (Wilson
>> 1992), it
>> is clear from these estimates that our respondents were most
>> interested in
>> the abundance of Sandhill Cranes and had little interest in species
>> diversity."
>>
>> In addition to this disconnection between recreation and resource, we
>> also
>> found differences between avidity levels in birding. We found that
>> self-determined skill level is contraindicative of willingness to pay.
>> The
>> more skilled the birder (at least self-determined skill) the less
>> willing
>> they were to pay for conservation.
>>
>> David B. Klenosky, a professor at Purdue University, recently
>> published a
>> paper titled "The Impact of Negative Environmental Factors on
>> Recreation
>> Choice Behavior." Klenosky compared two recreations: golf and birding.
>> In
>> his research Klenosky found that "in particular, as one's birding
>> ability
>> increased, the importance of the other environmental factors became
>> secondary to the quality of birding in area." In other words, as long
>> as the
>> rarities are present the environment becomes wall paper.
>>
>> Remember the avid birders who opposed Teaming with Wildlife?
>>
>> Birding needs to mature, to grow up. The time has arrived for birding
>> to
>> shoulder its social responsibilities. Given Sheri's latest report, I
>> see we
>> still have a long, long way to go.
>>
>> Ted Eubanks
>> Writing from Slate Run, Pennsylvania
>>
>> =========
>>
>> Message from Sheri Williamson:
>>
>> The Slate-throated Redstart that has been the subject of much
>> excitement here in southeastern Arizona since its discovery on May 26
>> was found dead this morning. The following is the report from the
>> Arizona-New Mexico listserv (BIRDWG05):
>>
>>
>>> Jay Hand just called to report that he and Shawneen Finnnegan found
>>> the Slate-throated Redstart this morning, unfortunately it was
>>> dead. They found it about 200 yards downstream from where the wet
>>> stream crosses the trail. They guessed it died sometime in the last
>>> 24 hours. The cause of death was not determinable as the bird
>>> seemed in good condition with no marks or signs that it had been
>>> attacked by anything. The specimen will be sent to the U of A.
>>> Bill Scott Tucson AZ genmon@cox.net
>>
>> Prophetically, this message was sent to BIRDWG05 yesterday evening:
>>
>>
>>> Fellow Birders, I have been following this story of the
>>> Slate-Throated Redstart for some time now, and quite frankly it's
>>> getting a bit bizarre.  Reports now of 50 birders scrambling about,
>>> actually running down the Comfort Springs Trail, which is no trail
>>> to be running down, and near traffic jams on Carr Canyon Road, a
>>> road that can be dangerous even when there is no traffic!  I think
>>> at times we love these poor critters to death, or in this case
>>> will certainly love it right out of Carr Canyon and back to
>>> wherever it came from.  I enjoy sighting a rare or uncommon bird as
>>> much as anyone, but I am coming to the opinion that WE ARE ALL A
>>> BIT NUTS! I would really like some feedback and opinions of others
>>> who subscribe to this service concerning how we are interacting
>>> with the critters we are supposedly devoted to, and the habitats
>>> that they depend on.
>>> Pete Sockness
>>> Stump Canyon, Huachuca Mts.
>>> savetheriver@COX.NET
>>
>> We will likely never know the precise cause of death of this very
>> special bird nor what, *if any*, role the presence, number, and
>> behavior of observers may have played in its demise, but this incident
>> should serve as a reminder of the potential for our activities to harm
>> the birds we pursue and the environments they need to survive.
>>
>> Sheri Williamson
>> Bisbee, Arizona
>> tzunun@mindspring.com
>> http://tzunun.home.mindspring.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> mou-net mailing list
>> mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
>> http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
>>
>>
>
> Derric Pennington
> Graduate Research Assistant
> Conservation Biology Graduate program
> Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
> College of Natural Resources
> University of Minnesota
> 200 Hodson Hall
> 1980 Folwell Ave
> St. Paul, MN 55108
> ph: 612-624-4796
>
> "I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with
> forethought of grief... For a time I rest in the grace of the world,
> and am free." --Wendell Berry
>
> "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a
> confession of character." --Ralph Waldo Emerson
>
> _______________________________________________



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease?
Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/0xaSZB/UOnJAA/Y3ZIAA/70TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->


Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Conservationthroughbirding/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     Conservationthroughbirding-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/