Tape Luring - the use of playback by Rasmus Boegh. (1 Viewer)

THE USE OF PLAYBACK

You really need to judge each case separately, but should always follow local restrictions (some areas/reserves don’t allow playback). Recently, there was a lengthy discussion on a scientific Neotropical board and the conclusion reached was comparable to the following:

First, there apparently have been NO THOROUGH SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS actually checking the possible effect playback has on birds. Overall, most scientists agree that playback if done using common sense, pose few problems.

The big problem often arise when people keep on playing the tape endlessly - if the bird doesn't react after 15 seconds or so, forget it and stop. And if a bird reacts let it be, no continuous driving it back and forth causing far more stress than needed. If done in a sensible manner, the bird will think another individual entered its territory, but it rapidly got chased out, and it will continue with its usual life almost immediately afterwards. Note that this happens naturally on a daily basis in most bird species, and really doesn't pose a big problem in that case (playback is basically imitating nature).

Special caution should be taken when dealing with rare birds or birds during the breeding season, and regularly a complete "no" to playback may be the best approach in those situations. Furthermore, areas visited continuously by birders pose a particular problem. In areas (both in the Neotropics and in Asia; I'm sure elsewhere too) where playback is used more or less continuously, it has been observed that birds get "played out". They quite simply don't respond anymore. On the other hand there is no proof that the birds actually disappear (but again note that no thorough scientific surveys have been done, meaning that we don't know for sure). However, in my opinion the question isn't if the birds actually disappear. The fact that their behaviour is significantly altered should be enough to ban it completely in those cases.

So, in the end I have no prob's using playback - and yes - have used it in various parts of the World. If you ever are to use it, check above and follow the basic rules – common sense is the clue…

by Rasmus Boegh.

Thank you, I have always used the Common Sense approach. Mind you, there are so few birders here in Vietnam that I think birds are far from being "played out". Recently, in Da Lat, my friend taped in Collared Laughingthrush (ba...rd to see otherwise). He played the tape a few seconds and stopped. We had excellent views of three birds coming in and feeding, they did not at all seem put off.

Hanno said:

Mind you, there are so few birders here in Vietnam that I think birds are far from being "played out".

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Yes, I know. Luckily, most areas are still visited to a relatively low extent where the risk of "playing out" birds is virtually non-existant. The areas in Asia I was referring to are located in Peninsular Malaysia, while areas in the Neotropics include localities in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica. In these ares it is generally only a few very specific species that gets "played out"; usually the specialities of the region as they are the species most likely to be targeted by playback. I am sure there are additional localities around the World (haven't done a thorough check) and the numbers are bound to rise as more Western birders get the chance to visit foreign countries, while there simultaniously is a rise in the number of local birders. As Vietnam rapidly is gaining a reputation as a great country for birding, there quite certaily are localities that risk having specific species that are "played out" in the future. Indeed, you mention the Collared Laughingthrush and that species would be a very likely candidate - it being a highly restricted Vietnamese endemic that every birder fortunate enough to visit this region would love to see, while it simultaniously is very difficult without the use of playback. Thus, I can only hope people will follow the previous guidelines and act with responsibility if using playback, as it indeed seems you and your friend did.

Hi,
I was curious to know if tape playback is common in Europe and North America. It is getting to be very frequently used in India and I am not sure if it is in the best interest of the birds. Unfortunately, tape playback is used at the worst time, which is when the birds are calling in the breeding season.
Cheers!
Sumit

Sumit said:

Hi,
I was curious to know if tape playback is common in Europe and North America. It is getting to be very frequently used in India and I am not sure if it is in the best interest of the birds. Unfortunately, tape playback is used at the worst time, which is when the birds are calling in the breeding season.
Cheers!
Sumit

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The use of playback is limited in USA/Canada and Europe. Not at least because there is less reason to do so. The vast majority of species that would be playback responsive in USA/Canada or Europe can be seen without playback. I do know, however, that playback frequently is by ornithologists in USA and Europe when surveying wetlands for for various Rails and Crakes.

As you know the situation is very different in Tropical Asia (likewise in the Neotropics and Africa) where there are several species that are virtually impossible to see without the use of playback.

Rasmus Boegh said:

The use of playback is limited in USA/Canada and Europe. Not at least because there is less reason to do so. The vast majority of species that would be playback responsive in USA/Canada or Europe can be seen without playback. I do know, however, that playback frequently is by ornithologists in USA and Europe when surveying wetlands for for various Rails and Crakes.

As you know the situation is very different in Tropical Asia (likewise in the Neotropics and Africa) where there are several species that are virtually impossible to see without the use of playback.

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Thanks Rasmus.
In my opinion playback should be used for scientific studies as the results serve a purpose. Uncontrolled playback just to twitch a bird may not be in their best interests. And it is becoming a growing menace in our area.
Just my opinion.
Regards,
Sumit

Hence my original question:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=31916

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In my experience European birders are only too keen to have tapes used when on birding holidays, otherwise they "wouldn't have seen the bird".

There is selfishness involved in many cases and most of the excuses put forward don't stand up to scrutiny. A code of conduct for the use of tapes would be most helpful.

What about the situation where for instance Golden Orioles in Suffolk or Norfolk are tape lured by a group of birders in a car, they get their year tick and drive off, Couple of minutes later another group of birders leap out the car play the tape, see the bird, drive off to somewhere else. Couple of minutes later another group of birders arrive and on and on and on. Whats the poor Golden Oriole going to do? He's going to leave that what he going to do. He's too knackered from competing with all these other Orioles. OK so I dont have scientific proof that is what happens but when does common sense come into play?

Quite right. And of course such behaviour is strictly illegal in UK so I would expect anyone observing such behaviour to inform the police immediately.

MikeDale said:

What about the situation where for instance Golden Orioles in Suffolk or Norfolk are tape lured by a group of birders in a car, they get their year tick and drive off, Couple of minutes later another group of birders leap out the car play the tape, see the bird, drive off to somewhere else. Couple of minutes later another group of birders arrive and on and on and on. Whats the poor Golden Oriole going to do? He's going to leave that what he going to do. He's too knackered from competing with all these other Orioles. OK so I dont have scientific proof that is what happens but when does common sense come into play?

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Which is why I wrote the following:

Rasmus Boegh said:

In areas (both in the Neotropics and in Asia; I'm sure elsewhere too) where playback is used more or less continuously, it has been observed that birds get "played out". They quite simply don't respond anymore. On the other hand there is no proof that the birds actually disappear (but again note that no thorough scientific surveys have been done, meaning that we don't know for sure). However, in my opinion the question isn't if the birds actually disappear. The fact that their behaviour is significantly altered should be enough to ban it completely in those cases.

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As said, if playback leads to any problems, it should be banned. However, if used responsably there are no indications that it does. Note that any birding leads to a level of disturbance, the simple action of entering a birds territory leads to disturbance, no matter if playback is used or not. Hence, the same rules mentioned earlier can be applied not only to playback, but to birding in general. If you want to ban playback completely in all cases (and no doubts, certainly there are many cases where it should be - and is - banned completely), the same arguments can be presented for banning any birding where no scope is involved, which I believe very few birders would argue for. Many have a too simplified view that's based on emotions (rather than facts). Again, if playback is used common sense should always play a major role - as it indeed should in any birding.

I would point that often the problem is just one spot for a species. This concentrates the disturbance.

I know of case in Poland, where national park authorities actually increased the problem by closing all sites but one. The result is that among hundreds of km2 of habitat there is one place where 2-4 tours stand next to each other and watch birds at the same time, with all the disturbance. Not the best arrangement for me.

One of the points I meant to make but didn't manage successfully was that responsible behaviour by one group followed by responsible behaviour by another following group and on and on throughout the day results in a net sensory overload for the birds in that area.

MikeDale said:

One of the points I meant to make but didn't manage successfully was that responsible behaviour by one group followed by responsible behaviour by another following group and on and on throughout the day results in a net sensory overload for the birds in that area.

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Yes, we agree. But, I certainly wouldn't call it responsible if anyone use playback in an area where they know it is used to an extent where specific species are at a risk of having their behavior significantly altered due to the levels of playback. Perhaps this wasn't clear from the initial post, but I think it should be now.

Sumit mentioned USA. Playback is prohibited in several of the most birded canyons in South-Eastern Arizona, for example. In some, the prohibition covers all species, in others there might be certain types of calls that cannot be used?

Niels

An area in Asia where playback has yet to become a problem is Taiwan.I have on the odd occasion used playback here.I have only once heard of another birder using playback,he was an expat.I have never seen a native Taiwanese birder using playback.I'm sure that it must happen,but I've never really heard of it being done.Back in South Africa,I encountered playback being used quite often.So it would appear that there are still places in Asia,such as Vietnam and Taiwan,where the practice is not continuous.

Mark

Taiwan - using playback

I was in Taiwan last year. Visited the Wild Bird Society and went birding with them. The use of playback in Taiwan is illegal....(and therefore maybe the reason you haven't seen a Taiwanese using tapes!)

Hi Pterodroma,

The fact that it's illegal wouldn't stop it,unless it was rigidly enforced.Take the laws regarding the wearing of motorcycle helmets and the trapping of wild birds.There are laws,but out of Taipei it's the peoples law ,ie what is acceptable to traditional culture and beliefs(try driving here as an example).I believe that the reason playback is not used much, has to do with not that many birders here paying too much attention to bird calls.

Mark

I was doing the summer bird count with Dave Rosgen (a wildlife expert in connecticutt) and we definatly needed it in the marshes to bring out the Rails. there very hard to spot even when there just a few feet away. It was preety funny and frustrating to watch the grass move and not see the bird until it came out to the trail. But he says moderation is the key they might not respond if you overdo it.

tape luring

Alf King said:

Quite right. And of course such behaviour is strictly illegal in UK so I would expect anyone observing such behaviour to inform the police immediately.

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Hi Alf

Where can I see the details re law relating to tape luring in the UK, is it banned full stop or only during the breeding season?

Regards

Dvaid

Hi David

There isn't any legislation on tape luring per se but laws relating to any disturbance of nesting birds and also those relating to interference with wildlife in general. It is agreed, I believe, that tape luring would be embraced by both of these.

An example is the tape luring and ringing of petrels that will take place on the Yorkshire coast shortly which is carried out under strictly controlled and licensed conditions. Information on this should be available via RSPB NE and Filey Bird Group, I believe.

HTH

Alf King