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th --00000000000087c40905a616c823 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable It=E2=80=99s great that more professionals and influencers are becoming les= s compartmentalized in their appreciation of and work with nature. On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 1:07 PM John Kearney <j.f.kearney@gmail.com> wrote: > Please note Diane that I directed my remarks about unethical birding to > the play-back of mobbing calls, which does not avoid but instead aims to > stress birds. I do agree with you that many dimensions of birding and > ornithology disturb birds. We need to reassess our actions continually. H= ow > much of our intervention in the life of birds stems from meeting their > needs or our needs? Science-based evidence is a useful tool, but it is no= t > enough. We also need to decide what kind of relationship we want to have > with them. If it is one of respect, and understanding our lives as > intertwined with theirs, then many of our practices may have to be called > into question. > > John > > > > *From:* naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca *On Behalf Of *Diane LeBlanc > *Sent:* Wednesday, May 20, 2020 11:50 > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] Question: Starling Behaviour > > > > With regard to playback and mob calls, the ABA Code of Ethics limits but > does not ban the use of audio: Here is an excerpt from their Code of Ethi= cs: > > > > =E2=80=9CAvoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger. Be particularl= y > cautious around active nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display sites, > and feeding sites*. *Limit the use of recordings and other audio methods > of attracting birds, particularly in heavily birded areas, for species th= at > are rare in the area, and for species that are threatened or endangered*.= * > Always exercise caution and restraint when photographing, recording, or > otherwise approaching birds.=E2=80=9D > > > > Audubon is more lenient: Here is an excerpt from their website: > > > > =E2=80=9CPlayback is one of the most powerful tools in a birder=E2=80=99s= struggle to see > birds in the wild. It will arouse the curiosity of any species at any tim= e > of year, but it works best on territorial species during nesting season. > Birds that might otherwise be too shy to come into the open can be > attracted by the sound of a potential rival. Whether this trickery has an= y > significant impact on the birds is not so clear. > > > > Fundamentally, birding disturbs birds. Everything we do has an impact on > them. But in some situations playback can be less disruptive than other > methods of attracting birds, at times even less disruptive than sitting > quietly and waiting for a bird to show. Proponents argue that playback > reduces the need to physically enter and disturb a bird=E2=80=99s habitat= and, > unlike pishing, targets a single species.=E2=80=9D > > > > So, it is no wonder that birders may feel that it=E2=80=99s okay to use m= ob calls > and bird recording to attract birds. > > > > I suggest that changing this birder behaviour requires scientific evidenc= e > followed by strong peer pressure. I=E2=80=99d be very interested to see = studies, > and, in particular, meta-analyses on this topic. The NSBS is strongly > committed to putting birds first but we need to be in a defensible positi= on > before making recommendations. > > > > Just my thoughts! > > > > Diane > > > > > > *From: *"naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> > on behalf of Shouty McShoutsalot <desolatechair@gmail.com> > *Reply-To: *"naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Date: *Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 11:04 AM > *To: *naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Subject: *Re: [NatureNS] Question: Starling Behaviour > > > > Education is incremental. However there birders who should know better > who still employ pishing. > > > > On Wed., May 20, 2020, 08:08 John Kearney, <j.f.kearney@gmail.com> wrote: > > That is unfortunate, and those who are doing so are not following the > ethical guidelines of Birds Canada and the American Birding Association. = In > some cases, judicious use of playback is considered permissible for > conservation research. However, as noted in an earlier discussion in this > forum, this is increasingly unnecessary with the availability of autonomo= us > recording units. > > > > *From:* naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca *On Behalf Of *Shouty McShoutsalot > *Sent:* Wednesday, May 20, 2020 07:21 > *To:* naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] Question: Starling Behaviour > > > > Re mobbing calls regrettably it is still a common practice among birders. > With cell phones and birding apps its easy to produce and playback them a= t > will. > > > > On Tue., May 19, 2020, 21:38 John Kearney, <j.f.kearney@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi Burkhard, > Many bird species have mobbing calls. You may have seen the Black-capped > Chickadee doing this many times. Perhaps you thought it was curious about > you but more likely, it was letting other birds know of your presence. On= e > of the fascinating things about mobbing calls is that some species > understand the unique mobbing calls of another species as a mobbing call > and will join in multi-species harassment of a predator. Mobbing works, i= t > is believed, not so much because the predator is frightened, but because = it > has been outed. It has lost the advantage of a surprise attack. In the > past, birders would play recordings of mobbing calls to attract a wide > variety of species, and with the hopes flushing out a rare bird. Birders > have abandoned this practice since it causes unnecessary stress to the > birds and distracts them from more important tasks such as feeding young = or > building up fat reserves for their migration. > John > > -----Original Message----- > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca On Behalf Of Burkhard Plache > Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 18:59 > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: [NatureNS] Question: Starling Behaviour > > Hello fellow naturalists: > > We have a pair of starlings is raising its brood in a former hairy > woodpecker cavity in our front yard. Today, there were some 10-12 starlin= gs > scattered in the nearby branches. A few minutes later, a big ruckus broke > out, with a squirrel departing the tree at high speed pursued by some 5-6 > of the starlings. > > My question is: Are starlings known to band together in times of trouble? > If so, they must have some means of calling for h