It uses rings to track migration, population
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 12 Sep 11;
THE bird was panicking, so Mr David Li covered its eyes and stroked it gently. After a while, the bird stopped moving and allowed him to fasten two small rings to one of its feet. The rings, green on top and white below, meant the bird had been tagged in Singapore.
Mr Li, a conservation officer with the National Parks Board (NParks), is one of only 10 active 'bird ringers' here.
Every September to March, NParks sends the team to track the migration of birds here. The team tags the birds with the rings to find out how the populations of various species change over the years, and whether environmental changes may affect their flight patterns.
Thousands of birds fly in and out of the country during this period from places as far away as Russia. Others come from Korea, the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. It is the team's job to tag as many of them as possible.
'It's part of making sure we have a history of our bird heritage,' said Mr Li.
The process takes place twice a month at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, and each session is from dusk until the next morning.
The job requires a firm hand and a delicate touch: squeeze too hard and the bird will be injured, but give it too much room and it will struggle and escape.
Birds that have been tagged before are released after their particulars are updated, and the team has found birds that were tagged in Singapore as far back as 20 years ago.
The newcomers are released at most one day after they are caught so they can rejoin their flocks.
The programme started in 1990 and the team members are trained in a two-week course.
Mr Li, 38, said the most important thing is not to panic. 'If you panic, the bird will sense your loss of control and become even more frightened.'
Data such as the bird's weight and measurements is also logged in a system along with a unique code embedded in the rings.
All this is sent to Australia, so other participating countries can track the flight path of the birds.
Ms Sharon Chan, assistant director of the reserve, said the team tags about 500 birds each year, a mere fraction of the thousands that pass through.
'It's a job that requires a certain personality, and not many people can stand being outdoors for that long,' she said.
Still, NParks is trying to beef up its ranks. It is conducting a series of bird-watching workshops to interest people in birds. The next session is on Oct 15; details are on the NParks website at http://www.nparks.gov.sg.
Ms Chan said the programme has contributed to a better understanding of birds.
'Last year, one of the common redshanks that was previously here in 1990 returned,' she said.
'People used to think the species had shorter lives - if we hadn't tagged it we would never have known they could live that long.'
