Public see the benefits of bird ringing
BIRD RINging has been helping local ornithologists to keep track of the impact global warming has been having on local bird populations.
The first Nature Guernsey event of 2022 took place at Le Grande Pre in the Vale yesterday and saw a wide variety of birds caught. Species including a goldfinch, blue tit, dunnock and some blackbirds were ringed, which helps to provide a better understanding of populations and distribution.
Trevor Bourgaize of La Societe said the group tried to get out every day during spring and autumn migration seasons.
‘We can get an idea of populations, and with global warming, we are noticing birds changing habitats,’ he said.
The ringing process involved trapping birds in fine nets and then identifying their age and sex.
Next, the weight and wing length of the bird was recorded before a ring was attached to their leg and they were released.
Trainee bird ringer Julie Davis explained how the age of a bird was found.
‘The age depends on the plumage and can be quite challenging to tell on some species.’
She said Guernsey had four licensed bird ringers.
‘People have been ringing in Guernsey since the 1940s.
‘We keep records so we’ve got an idea of numbers and distribution.’
Each ring has a number and label showing the bird was trapped here.
‘If the bird is re-trapped, they will know it was trapped in the Channel Islands and we can get information back,’ she said.
Last year, a gold crest bird ringed in the Channel Islands was found near Geneva, and Mr Bourgaize said birds had also been found in Russia, Sweden and Denmark.
One bird ringed yesterday morning was a great tit weighing 16.2g and identified as male.
‘We can tell this bird was hatched last year because some feathers are paler than others,’ Mr Bourgaize added.
‘It probably hatched in Guernsey but in the autumn, they sometimes have flown down from Scandinavia.’
Isla Bretel, 8, enjoyed learning about the ringing process and said she goes birdwatching with her grandma.
‘I like the sounds they make,’ she added.
Mr Bourgaize said it was good to see young people’s interest.
‘There is a young lady who is 11 and desperate to train – we can probably start that at 15,’ he added.
