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September 30, 2006
Vagrant bird dies and birdwatchers blamed for bird's death
A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling that is normally found in Asia and eastern Europe but recently appeared in gardens in Winterton, Norfolk, UK has sparked widespread media coverage after a neighbour reported on a BBC news programme that birdwatchers were the cause of its death. Carol Barnes had told the BBC that birdwatchers had pursued the starling from garden to garden after it turned up in the coastal town last weekend. The RSPB has said that it does not plan to launch an inquiry but the birding community has reacted strongly calling the allegations misinformed and very damaging.
Lee Evans who runs a popular British birding club said that the bird at the centre of the story was suffering two heavily bloated ticks on its head, one just behind the eye and another below the eye. "As soon as I set eyes on it last Saturday, I realised it was in distress and made every attempt to capture it but failed."
Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling showing one of the bloated ticks that caused its death from the Surfbirds galleries © William Bowell 24th Sept 06
"This was affecting its health in a serious manner. The reason the bird died was because of the two ticks draining its life blood and nothing to do whatsoever with birders scrambling to see it. Such parasites have had similar affects to a wide range of bird species throughout the ages. It was however feeding well and was taking Cranefly after Cranefly from the protected lawn inside the Wireless Station compound in Winterton village. It was ridiculously lethargic and struggling to fly far but fed to within a few feet of observers. Birders surrounded it but certainly did not hound it in any way nor was it 'chased' from pillar to post as suggested in the newspaper articles. Due to a Pallid Harrier in the vicinity, it was obviously visited by perhaps over 500 different observers over the weekend but as far as I know, it was certainly not 'hounded to death'.
Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, Norfolk from the Surfbirds galleries © Murray S. Smith 23rd Sept 06
Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, Norfolk from the Surfbirds galleries © James Hanlon 24th Sept 06
Posted by Surfbirds at September 30, 2006 07:06 PM
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