Banding Office Newsletters

MEMORANDUM TO BANDERS

• Welcome Chantal Marier to the Bird Banding Office
• The Species at Risk Act (SARA) and Bird Banding
• Permit Authorizations
• Health and Safety Issues
• Standardized Fat Scoring
• Banding Office Return Envelopes
• Band Supply
• North American Banding Council meeting
• Publications and websites of Interest
• Products available from the Banding Office
• Appendix A: Federally Listed Species at Risk

Welcome Chantal Marier to the Bird Banding Office

We are delighted to welcome Chantal Marier as the new Bird Banding Administrator to the Bird Banding Office. Chantal provides administrative and clerical support to the BBO and services to Canadian bird banders. Her duties include processing band orders and maintaining band inventories, verifying and correcting banding data, maintaining the banding database and managing and processing recovery and encounter information. This is only half of Chantal's responsibilities! Her time will be shared with the Waterfowl Harvest Surveys Program. Chantal has been working on a contract basis with NWRC for the past 15 years so we are pleased that she has moved into this permanent position. The Bird Banding Office is now fully staffed!

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) and Bird Banding

The agreements and permits section (Section 73) of Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) comes into effect June 1, 2004. This section regulates how scientific permits including bird banding permits, are administered for federally listed threatened and endangered species. A list of threatened and endangered birds for which these regulations apply is attached in appendix A. For those who band or intend to band SARA listed species, it is important to know that additional information is required for the issuance of your permit.

A permit may be issued for an activity affecting a listed wildlife species if a purpose identified in Section 73 (2) is met. For bird banding the first purpose (73(2a)) applies. The three purposes as stated in SARA are as follows:

• 73(2)
  
  
  1. the activity is scientific research relating to the conservation of the species and is conducted by qualified persons.
  2. the activity benefits the species or is required to enhance its chance of survival in the wild; or
  3. affecting the species is incidental to the carrying out of the activity.

In addition, before a permit is issued all 3 pre-conditions of Section 73(3) must be demonstrated.

• 73(3)
  
  
  1. all reasonable alternatives to the activity that would reduce the impact on the species have been considered and the best solution has been adopted,
  2. all feasible measures will be taken to minimize the impact of the activity on the species or its critical habitat or the residences of its individuals, and
  3. the activity will not jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species.

While the Banding Office must ensure that our permit issuance procedure takes the SARA purpose and pre-conditions into account, we will strive to minimize the administrative effort both for banders and in our office. As such we have put in place the following:

• Applications to band SARA listed species at risk (threatened or endangered) will use the same application forms (soon to be revised) as banding non-listed species.
• Specific information will be required to meet the pre-conditions set out in Section 73 (3). This can be provided in a detailed project description.
• Species authorization for each species at risk will be listed on permits as authorized to band SARA listed species. No additional permit will be required to band federally listed migratory birds.
• A separate authorization is required to band or mark each SARA listed species.
• Activities related to permits for SAR must be entered into the SARA registry. This will be completed by the banding office.
• Certain species soon to be up-listed to either endangered or threatened may also be reviewed in similar detail, and require more detailed information.
• Permit processing time may be increased for permits requesting authorization for species at risk.

Over the next few months the Banding Office will review the permits of banders who are currently authorized to band threatened and endangered species. You may be contacted and asked to provide further project details in order to meet the preconditions for permit issuance. You can assist us in this task by letting us know if you no longer require authorization for a species at risk currently listed on your permit.

As in the past, if species at risk are caught incidentally as part of regular banding activities, they may be banded and promptly released. However, for certain species, if there is evidence that banding or handling may be harmful, restrictions may be put in place, including incidental banding. We will keep you informed. If you have questions regarding your permit and banding species at risk please contact Lesley (613-998-0515).

Permit Authorizations

The authorization section of your permit lists restricted activities which you are permitted to carry out. Some of you may have noticed that your permit has authorizations such as traps, band at MAPS stations or band on Bluebird trails, which are not listed in the banding manual. These capture methods and activities are not required authorizations for your permit and the Banding Office will no longer track these activities on most individual permits. However, we will continue to issue restricted permits which limit capture and banding activities. For example students or others working on a specific project that requires banding of one or two species only would be issued a permit specifying the species authorized to band rather than be granted authorization to band a species group.

Permission to band in a Canadian federal or provincial park, federal bird sanctuary or national wildlife area is required from the proper authority as stated in condition one on the back of your permit and in the North American Banders Manual. These specific areas will no longer be listed on the front of your permit.

While we have made some changes to the list of authorizations, most can be found in the North American Banders Manual. Below is the list of authorizations that the Banding Office will continue to track and must be listed on your permit if you plan to engage in the activity without supervision.

Authorizations:

• Band raptors (requires a provincial or territorial permit)
• Band waterbirds
• Band waterfowl
• Band passerines and other landbirds
• Band shorebirds
• Band seabirds
• Band hummingbirds
• Use mist nets
• Use rocket or cannon nets
• Capture using drugs
• Colour marking
• Use auxiliary markers (require Animal Care Committee approval)
• Radio or satellite transmitters (require Animal Care Committee approval and certification by Industry Canada)
• SARA listed species. Separate authorization is required for each federally listed endangered and threatened species.

Please review the authorizations on your permit. If you require additional authorizations, please contact the Banding Office. If you have authorizations listed on your permit that are not included on this list, we will amend your permit when it is next issued.

Health and Safety Issues

It is important to consider the health and safety issues of working with wild birds. In particular ensure that any new volunteers, members and students are aware of the risks associated with close contact and handling of birds and know how to reduce their risk of infection and injury. While the likelihood of a person contracting a disease from a wild bird is low, birds can carry organisms that may be potentially infectious to humans. Here are some general precautions that banders should take:

Minimize your risk:

• All bird handlers should be immunized against polio, tetanus and tuberculosis.
• Wash hands frequently with soap. Alcohol hand sanitizer is an effective alternative.
• In some cases gloves, masks or protective eye wear may be appropriate.
• Avoid touching face, mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed or gloved hands.
• Never drink, eat or smoke while working with birds or in the banding lab, and always wash your hands after handling birds.
• Sanitize your work areas after processing birds.
• Physical hazards are a possibility especially when working with raptors and shrikes. Wear protective equipment, and learn how best to work with birds to minimize this risk.
• Minor cuts and abrasions should be immediately cleansed with antibacterial soap and then protected from exposure to birds.
• Tell your doctor you work with birds. Many zoonotic diseases have flu-like symptoms and would not normally be suspected. Your doctor needs this information to make an accurate diagnosis.
• Protect yourself from exposure to mosquitoes and sun.

Bird Flu also known as avian influenza has attracted a lot of media attention recently. This disease is caused by a virus that naturally infects wild migratory birds such as ducks and geese. For more information please visit Health Canada's website.

For information on West Nile virus please visit Health Canada's website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/diseases-maladies/wnv-vno_e.html.

Standardized Fat Scoring

The benefits of adopting a common fat scoring system were reviewed by Erica Dunn in her article Recommendations for Fat Scoring (2003, North American Bird Bander vol:28(2)). CMMN stations have agreed to use the MAPS fat scoring system as a standard. If you currently use a fat scoring system other than the MAPS system, consider making the change so that we can work towards standardizing fat scoring in North America. The system can be found on pages 41-42 of the MAPS manual http://www.birdpop.org/MANUALS.HTM.

Banding Office Return Envelopes

As you know the Banding Office is now located in Ottawa, Ontario, but you may have noticed that our business return envelopes still have the address of Hull Quebec. This address is still valid. Environment Canada's mail is sorted at one central location in Hull and directed to our office through our internal mail system. We recently ordered more return envelopes where we altered the address to reflect the city name change of Hull to Gatineau. You may also send information to us at our Ottawa address, we receive it either way.

Band Supply

Trumpeter Swan flat, stainless steel, 9C lock on bands are now available. Contact Louise to order.

The Bird Banding Office has all band sizes in stock. As a reminder, only band orders received from a master permittee will be filled. Please order bands only for the current banding season. This helps us reduce the chance of band shortage.

Once you receive your band order, banders should immediately check the numbers on the bands (not the envelopes or boxes) to verify the accuracy of each band shipment. The BBO should be notified immediately if there is a discrepancy between the band numbers and the issue slip.

North American Banding Council meeting

The North American Banding Council (NABC) met at Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca NY, April 24 and 25 2004, in association with the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists annual meetings and conference.

A new shorebird bander's manual has been completed and will be available for distribution soon. Banding manuals for waterfowl and seabirds are in progress and banding manuals for woodpeckers, long-legged waders and marsh birds are in the planning stages.

NABC outreach committee will work to publish educational articles in each issue of North American Bird Bander (NABB). Look for upcoming articles such as Hummingbird extraction and handling for the non-hummer bander, documenting rarities and bird band removal.

For more details on the April meeting and NABC initiatives visit their website: http://www.nabanding.net/nabanding/.

Publications and websites of Interest

One of the most important publications for passerine banders is Peter Pyle's Identification Guide to North American Passerines Part I. It provides a synthesis of information on identification, geographic variation, molt, ageing, and sexing 395 species of landbirds in the hand and the field. You may obtain this important resource from Point Reyes Bird Observatory's website.

For an update of errors found in Pyle visit the Institute for Bird Populations Errata for Pyle's Identification Guide to North American Passerines Part I. (PDF Document)

Ageing North American Landbirds by Molt and Plumage Criteria: A Photographic Companion to the Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part 1, by Dan Froehlich, is another important resource for passerine banders. This publication contains color photographs and drawings illustrating molt limits and ageing, and provides a discussion of ageing by molt limits. To order copies please visit The Institute for Bird Populations website.

In 2003, the Canadian Council on Animal Care released Guidelines on: the care and use of wildlife. This document replaces Chapter XXII Wild Vertebrates in the Field and Laboratory in the Guide to the care and Use of Experimental Animals, vol. 2 (CCAC, 1984). This document is relevant to all those who regularly handle and band birds in the field. It covers topics such as manipulation and handling of wildlife in the field, guidance on marking of wildlife including banding, tagging and radio transmitters and reviews human safety considerations. I recommend that all banders review this document. It is available on line from the Canadian Council on Animal Care website (CCAC).

Another excellent document I'm sure many of you are familiar with is the Guidelines to the use of wild birds in research (1999) produced by the Ornithological Council. This document covers topics such as adequate sample size, disturbance considerations, collecting and trapping and the various marking techniques used in the scientific study of wild birds. This document is available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/.

The Ornithological Worldwide Literature (OWL) is a compilation of citations and abstracts from the ornithology literature. OWL lists papers from serial publications, conference proceedings, reports, and doctoral dissertations. You can search this database online at: http://egizoosrv.zoo.ox.ac.uk/OWL/.

As part of Canada's Digital Collections, an Industry Canada initiative, the Provincial Museum of Alberta has created the Master Guide to Warblers Virtual Exhibit. This excellent website allows you to view photos in the field and museum study skins of warblers of both sexes of various ages. The site provides species descriptions and points out identification features and allows you to examine the finer details of plumage and size. There is also a quiz to test your identification skills. Visit the site at: http://collections.ic.gc.ca/warblers/.

For duck banders Species, Age and Sex Identification of Ducks Using Wing Plumage by Samuel M. Carney (1992) is an important resource. Although it is a difficult book to get hold of it can be downloaded at: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/tools/duckplum/duckplum.htm.

The University of Puget Sound maintains a website of wing photos. It can be viewed at: http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/wingphotos.html.

Visit the website of your local banding association for membership details:

Eastern Bird Banding Association
Inland Bird Banding Association
Ontario Bird Banding Association
Western Bird Banding Association has a new website

Products available from the Banding Office:

FROM THE BIRD BANDING STAFF

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