RSPB Frampton Tufted Duck

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:38 pm

I recorded this female tufted duck with ducklings at RSPB Frampton on 11th July 2014.

Ringed: 06/11/2009 in France at SAINT PHILBERT DE GRAND LIEU

(Not sure I like nasal saddles...)

also seen at

22/07/2011 HAMBLETON RUTLAND UK -00 ° 40 ' 52 ° 39
26/07/2011 HAMBLETON RUTLAND UK -00 ° 40 ' 52 ° 39
12/07/2012 KIRTON LINCOHLNSHIRE UK 00 ° 00 ' 52 ° 53
10/12/2013 DENTON LINCOHLNSHIRE UK -00 ° 42 ' 52 ° 53
11/07/2014 FRAMPTON LINCOLNSHIRE UK 00 ° 01 ' 52 ° 54

Stuart Britton · **Posted:** Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:25 pm

A good movement but, like you, I have reservations about nasal saddles - I'm not sure whether the BTO use them in the UK. Can anybody shed any light?

Katherine Birkett · **Posted:** Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:38 pm

They look hideous, and how are they attached? Does it cause any impairment in the duck's physical functioning?

Alex Lees · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:36 am

Stuart Britton wrote:

A good movement but, like you, I have reservations about nasal saddles - I'm not sure whether the BTO use them in the UK. Can anybody shed any light?

Have a read of:

Multiple tests of the effect of nasal saddles on dabbling ducks: combining field and aviary approaches

http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2007/GBS54.pdf

and

Addendum: Eurasian Teal Anas crecca nasal saddle loss in the Camargue, France

http://www.esac.pt/AvesAquaticasCineget ... roj/P2.pdf

Stuart Britton · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:43 am

Thanks, Alex. I am re-assured that it has no detrimental effect on the birds.

Alex Lees · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:15 pm

Stuart Britton wrote:

Thanks, Alex. I am re-assured that it has no detrimental effect on the birds.

Hi Stuart

No problem - there are studies showing evidence for detrimental effects in some cases - as with all techniques that involve handling birds, but it is apparently not a source of significant impacts. Again, one can imagine that as remote-sensing tags becomes cheaper that many of these more invasive techniques will become obsolete...

cheers

Alex

Phil Espin · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:02 pm

The paper Alex posted was purely based on work on dabbling ducks. Its fair to presume diving ducks like Tufted could be a different kettle of fish as their feeding technique is different. I remain to be convinced that these saddle rings are not detrimental. Is there any evidence of the comparative recovery rates of diving ducks banded in the same areas using leg and bill rings? If not how did they get away with introducing a new technique they couldn't show was safe?

Alex Lees · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:46 am

Phil Espin wrote:

The paper Alex posted was purely based on work on dabbling ducks. Its fair to presume diving ducks like Tufted could be a different kettle of fish as their feeding technique is different. I remain to be convinced that these saddle rings are not detrimental. Is there any evidence of the comparative recovery rates of diving ducks banded in the same areas using leg and bill rings? If not how did they get away with introducing a new technique they couldn't show was safe?

Fair point. There is a paper in Jnl of Field Ornithology (to which I don't have access): http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1648/0 ... 0-73.2.206 that suggests that diving ducks may get vegetation caught in their bill frequently and end up shaking their heads more often....

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

RSPB Frampton Tufted Duck

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