Society to learn about bird ringing
The final autumn/winter season talk of Arran Natural History Society will be Ringing - why do we do it? by Iain Livingstone.
Iain is the secretary of the Clyde Ringing Group and his informative talk will provide the audience with an overview of the value of deliberately capturing birds to apply rings or tagging information.
Iain explained: “Placing unique, numbered or lettered metal rings on a bird’s leg evokes a variety of reactions from people.
“This can range from utter rage – the bird’s wildness has been stolen – to people who immediately understand the process as an essential tool for the scientific study of individual birds.
“I’ll explore these options and hopefully show why being able to identify a bird as an individual potentially gives us data on a whole population and how that can be used for scientific reasons – and more importantly can be used for conservation of our vanishing bird populations.”
Lanarkshire-born Iain has been fascinated by birds since the age of 12. He first became involved with ringing in 1980, was fully licensed by 1987 and he now trains other ringers. He has been a member of the Clyde Ringing Group since 1982 and its secretary since 1994. His main interest is migration, but leads projects covering a wide range of species. Warblers have been his lifelong favourite, but terns and waders are changing that.
The talk will take place on Tuesday April 4, at 7.30pm, at Ormidale Pavilion. Entry is free to members or by a £3 donation from non-members.
Iain’s talk will be preceded by the society’s annual general meeting (AGM). Members will receive information about the AGM by email before the event.