Report on bird ringing in Britain and Ireland for 1992

Abstract

This is the 56th annual report of the British Trust for Ornithology's Ringing Scheme. The total number of birds ringed in 1992 (783, 842) was 0.4% lower than in 1991 and lower than in any year since 1982. Breeding populations of many species remained at a low level. The number of recoveries (12,200) was also low, indicative of mild weather conditions through the year. The previous report contained five-yearly summaries so the current one concentrates solely on the data acquired during 1992. Data were provided by 122 Constant Effort Sites in 1992. Forty-three papers wholly or partly based on ringing were published during the year. Staff research effort during the year was particularly concerned with further development of the Integrated Population Monitoring Programme. The age-specific totals lists, completed by ringers since 1985, were used to estimate first-year and adult survival rates for 16 species. Other research included a study of the reporting probability of ringed birds and further work on the cold weather mortality of waders on the Wash during February 1991. Mass-participation ringing in Senegal, in both spring and autumn, has resulted in further controls of BTO-ringed birds there and the report contains data on birds ringed in Senegal and reported in Britain and Ireland.

Migrations and Wintering of the Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in Poland

“…According to these authors, the majority of movements of the young do not exceed a few hundred kilometres. However, there have been some cases in which young Kestrels covered distances longer than 1000 km (Mead et al 1993, Clark et al 2001 or even 3000 km (Appleton et al 1997). There are two interesting recoveries of the birds found in autumn as the adults in France (860 km, 1524 km), mentioned while describing the adult birds' movements.…”

Distances moved and elapsed times between ringing and recovery for three Ploceus weavers in southern Africa

“…For example, the total of 1 230953 Greenfinches, Carduelis chloris, ringed in Great Britain up to the end of 1992 have yielded 23 738 recoveries (Mead et al 1993). The Greenfinch recovery rate of 1.93'70 is in line with the overall recovery rate for British rings of 2.0'70, which is double the recovery rate in southern Africa (0.99% up to June 1993).…”

Movement and mortality of British‐ringed SkylarksAlauda arvensis

“…By 31 December 1992, recoveries of only 201 of the 42,643 Skylarks ringed since 1909 (0.47% recovery rate) had been reported (Mead, Clark and Peach 1993). Of these 201 birds, two had each been reported once prior to being reported dead (one ringed as a pullus, the other as a juvenile), giving a total of 203 recoveries or controls (70 from birds ringed as pulli, 21 from juveniles and 112 from birds described as fullygrown, a category which includes juveniles, immatures and adults).…”