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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Nocturnal songs for catching birds (1 Viewer)

pqt

Member
Hello

Last days, we have at portuguese ringers forum a discussion about the use of nocturnal calls for increase the captures of birds. I don´t know the situation in others countries.

Are this method used in others countries? With or without restrictions? All species or only a few?

Cumprimentos

Paulo Tenreiro
 
quite right, I was assuming it was just passerines. Ringers manual says:

cannot use on migrating land birds at night

can use on birds which are normally active after dark, such as waders and owls
 
Boa noite Paulo,

Nó Canadá usamos chamados de pássaro á noite em um local. I believe in some places in Spain, they use Acro paludicola calls over night. There is some question over the ethics of using bird calls nocturnally for passerines.

We are currently having success with Northern Saw-whet Owls, and have with American Woodcock and Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus).

Um abraco amigo,

Peter
 
Hello Peter

In Spain, I think, the ringers don't have limits for song-calls use during ringing sessions. In Portugal, the last information from ringing office, send last week, is forbbiden the use of song calls during the night except for catch nightjars, owls and storm-petrels. We need now a special permit to use song-calls during the day.

Paulo
 
Pete, How diffrent to European Woodcock are the american ones? Would it be worth trying luring our? What part of their vocalisation do you play to get them to come to the nets?

Kelvin
North Wales
 
Pete, How diffrent to European Woodcock are the american ones? Would it be worth trying luring our? What part of their vocalisation do you play to get them to come to the nets?

Kelvin
North Wales

This has already been done in the Uk - I remember reading about it. I think females call to roding birds from the ground, which lures them down to display on the ground and then copulate, so you play the female vocalisation (some sort of grunt?).

There could be a technical issue with woodcock being a game species and using a mechanical device (CD player) to specifically 'take' them. I'm not sure how the ringing scheme works around specific issues like that which are outside of the normal wild bird protection laws.
 
There was an article in an old ringers bulletin about enticing them down with bantam hens, but I don’t recall any mention of tape luring them. Lamping works well, however our usual ringing site has good numbers of winter woodcock and I was wandering if playing a tape at dawn before switching over to Redwings etc might be productive.

As a former Wildlife Crime Officer I suppose I should know that I need a game licence to "take" Woodcock. But as my local post office is shut and the last time I bought one they were 30 shillings, I'll chance my luck.

Kelvin
 
There was an article in an old ringers bulletin about enticing them down with bantam hens, but I don’t recall any mention of tape luring them. Lamping works well, however our usual ringing site has good numbers of winter woodcock and I was wandering if playing a tape at dawn before switching over to Redwings etc might be productive.

As a former Wildlife Crime Officer I suppose I should know that I need a game licence to "take" Woodcock. But as my local post office is shut and the last time I bought one they were 30 shillings, I'll chance my luck.

Kelvin


check the by-laws on your site - you might have to give a tithe of any bag to the local parson. :)
 
Hello

Last days, we have at portuguese ringers forum a discussion about the use of nocturnal calls for increase the captures of birds. I don´t know the situation in others countries.

Are this method used in others countries? With or without restrictions? All species or only a few?

The method is used in Belgium I'm told. Ringers are expected to ensure that they do not land migrants in unsuitable or insufficient habitat as sonetimes numbers have been spectacular.
 
It is not allowed in the UK. You can only use songs during daylight hours.

But this message in a french ringing forum say other thing:
One week ago, a French ringer colleague went to the Rye Bay ringing
station in the south coast of the United Kingdom and you can read
below the report that he sent to the French ringing list.

<<Situated In a very large farmland with also a "lovely" marsh pond,
this station is adjusted to make birds and ringers welcome.
There are more of 30 tweeters which play songs calls during all the
time (day and night) and 1000 meters of mist-nets in action.

Three permanent ringers are on duty each day in this ringing spot (35
000 birds ringed per year) which works also with assitant ringers and
visitors (Possible accomodations for 20 ringers in mobile homes)
 
Pete, How diffrent to European Woodcock are the american ones? Would it be worth trying luring our? What part of their vocalisation do you play to get them to come to the nets?

Kelvin
North Wales

Hey Kelvin,

The AMWO is much smaller than the Eurasion Woodcock. We were successful in May, using the breeding calls....the 'bleet' as the bird makes a spiralled upward flight before swooping low.

I almost stepped on one this morning while opening the nets! Scared the bjesus out of me!

Feliz Anilhagem
 
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