Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-10-25
WATCH FOR BANDED BIRDS.
Sportsmen and Others Asked to As
sist in New Movement.

Sportsmcn and Others Asked to As
sist in New Movement.
AS the hunting season opens and
sportsmen make their advent into
the fields and forests the New Eng
land Bird Banding association calls
upon them to watch for banded
| birds Sportsmen can be of great
value to this movement in behalf Of
bird study and bird protection be-
cause they see the bird flights to best
advantage and as rule know the
! birds. The United States coast
guard and light services have also
been asked to assist in keeping
! lookout for banded birds.
| For the information of hunters
and others who will be in position
this fall and winter to observe the
movement of the birds wearing
aluminium bands, l.. B. Fletcher, sec
rotary of the New England Bird
Banding association, has issued the
| following statement:
"The banding of birds for scien-
tific purposes has become national
in both the United States and Cana
| da, and is fast taking the centre OF
the ornithological stage. s. Prentiss
1
| to the attention of the United States
Biological Survey in 1919, after
| four successful years with most en-
| tightening and interesting records.
| The bureau, after careful consider
| alton, decided to take up the work
officially, in 1920, securing about
one hundred collaborators, of which
about ten were active. In early
1921 the New England Bird Banding
, association was formed and became
! interested. They secured about five
/ hundred members in New England
and Canada, and the bureau now has
| about eight hundred collaborators.
The members at once became active
and many traps were operated. Until
the supply of bands became ex-
hausted they were flooding their re-
cording secretary with banding
! records.
Already several thousand birds
| have been trapped and banded,
adults and fiedglings, and we think
it exceedingly important to have
some formal notification of this bird
banding movement. On Sept 1, at
roll-call, all members of the United
States Coast Guard and Light SER
vices were notified to keep sharp
! lookout for all birds to see If they
wore the small aluminium band, and
if SO, to report at once to the Bureau
of Biological Survey at Washington
the number, the species, the details
of the finding of the bird, its condl-
ton and other items of interest
Bird banding not only has Won
derful possibility from scientific
point of view, but automatically one
becomes a bird protectionist and does
everything in his power to protect
the birds from the natural enemies
and also to maintain miniature
sanctuary on his farm or residence
by feeding the birds the year round
and by placing nesting boxes for
their comfort 1t has been exceed
ingiy gratifying to note the increase
in birds where this protection has
been afforded.
'In bird banding we see the dawn
of new era in Ornithology and
much is about to be accomplished
that has long been desired. We sin
cerely urge all those interested in
birds to watch for banded birds and
report at once to the game warden
or to the Bureau of Biological Sur
vey at Washington, D. c., the band
number and all the details.
"The New England Bird Banding
association stands ready through its
secretary, L. B. Fletcher, 70 Water
street, Boston, to furnish to those
interested all the available data for
the beginner and to assist in any
way possible those who are sincerely
interested in this movement
Best results in bird study are OBJ
tanned, according to Charles l.. Whit
tie of Cambridge, one Of the coun-
cilors of the association, by organic
ing regional association Of bird
banders, meaning by this, bringing
together a membership from an area
possessing one or more migration
highways. along which trapping sta
lions could be established to furnish,
by intensive attack, fairly speedy
answers to certain specific migration
problems, thus early demonstrating
to members the scientific value of
bird banding with the consequent
stimulus to continue the work which
it is expected will ultimately solve
more pathological riddles, aid in
the solution of others and create new
problems not now anticipated.
-O--
Sorrento.