As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Marsh Sandpiper sighted 10 years after it was tagged

J Arockiaraj | TNN | Apr 7, 2016, 07.12 PM IST

MADURAI: Spotting a bird almost a decade after it was tagged has thrilled bird watchers in the region. A metal ring was placed around the marsh sandpiper by ornithologists in September 2006; the bird survived and was spotted again in 2016. Recently, the Travancore Nature History Society in Thiruvananthapuram and the Tribal Foundation in Kanyakumari took out a bird counting exercise in the Manakudy Bird Reserve and they spotted this marsh sandpiper at Puthalam salt pan. The team alerted ornithologists with a photo of the bird. It was revealed that the Bombay Natural History Society had done the ringing. S Balachandran of BNHS and PO Nameer of the Centre for Wildlife Studies worked on the subject and confirmed that the sandpiper had been ringed in September 2006 at the Kovalam Salt Pan, part of Manakudy Bird Reserve, said S S Davidson of the Tribal Foundation.

Kalesh S of TNHS said bird ringing was essential to learn about birds' lifespan, their movement and breeding pattern, vital for bird conservation. Ringing is done by placing a lightweight, uniquely numbered metal ring around a bird's leg, providing a reliable and harmless method of identifying birds. It helps in re-sighting the birds that provide data on migratory patterns.

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