Bird ringing stations as an interactive tool for education and conservation programmes

Abstract

It was during my master’s degree programme at the A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI; www.aplori.org) in 2016 that I first had the opportunity to join the bird ringing table. APLORI is the most prestigious ornithological research institute in West Africa, situated in Laminga, Plateau State, in Nigeria, and is solely dedicated to ornithological research and capacity building in West Africa. Prior to this experience, it is safe to say that I was ignorant of the exciting avian world! Although I had graduated with a first degree in ecotourism and wildlife management and a master’s degree in wildlife ecology and management, I knew close to nothing about birds, let alone bird ringing. APLORI is committed to the monthly Constant Effort Sites (CES) where mist nets are frequently placed in strategic locations within the Amurum Forest Reserve (which houses APLORI) in order to catch and ring birds. Students are always encouraged to join and have a closer look at the birds (in hand). For me, this was the beginning of an undying passion for bird ringing. I was committed to this CES throughout my 14 months’ study time at APLORI (September 2016 to November 2017). Thanks to Drs Chima and Kwanye Nwaogu who patiently took me through this learning journey, I was able to deepen my interest in understanding moult strategies. How birds grow their feathers became fascinating to me. Eventually, I did my PhD on moult strategies of different bird species and got my bird ringing licence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South Africa (courtesy of my experiences at the ringing station in Jos, Nigeria). Bird ringing not only introduced me more intimately to the natural world, it also increased my quest to ask and answer deeper questions about birds and, by extension, the natural environment around me. In March 2019, almost 4000 Amur Falcons Falco amurensis, who had spent their non-wintering season at KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and were en route back to their breeding site in eastern Asia, were affected by two exceptional nocturnal hailstorms, with almost 2000 Amur Falcons killed at their roosts (Allan 2019; Adekola et al. 2021a). I was part of the team that worked on the moult strategies of the species; this work formed a chapter of my PhD thesis (Adekola et al. 2021a). Interestingly, some of the birds were rescued, released and resighted in India (see https://nenow.in/north-eastnews/amur-falcon-rescued-released-in-assam-turns -out-to-be-a-strong-bird.html). Thanks to the power of bird ringing! Also, when I was catching gannets for my moult studies (Adekola et al. 2021b) at Malgas Island (33°05′S, 17°92′E), off the west coast of South Africa, my knowledge of bird ringing came handy as I was able to ring them. Birds are often the most visible form of biodiversity to many people, regardless of where they live. They are an important part of our daily lives. This probably makes birds enticing species for conservation education and public awareness. Bird ringing (called bird banding in the United Kingdom) is a great tool to introduce people to nature because it is an amazing privilege to witness birds so closeup, to learn about their fascinating lives, and to be at the forefront of the science informing bird conservation. It has been an important research tool for the conservation biologist over the last 100 years (Anderson and Green 2009). The process of bird ringing involves catching (usually with mist nets), identification (to make sure that the correct ring is fitted) and marking of birds (using metal or coloured rings around their legs), for the purpose of re-identification. The metal rings are always coded with a unique letter and number code, to aid in re-