Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Gauthier-Clerc M. & Le Maho Y. (2001) Beyond bird marking with rings. ARDEA 89 (1): 221-230
Ringing allows obtaining a considerable amount of data on behavioural and ecological parameters of birds. However, this method has certain drawbacks such as stress due to handling and an impact on bird survival, and data collection of sufficient data often is restricted and time-consuming. The development of microelectronics and computer science and progress in equipment miniaturisation offers new perspectives. Their methods furnish data with minimal human disturbance and presence in the field. Data such as localisation and locomotor activity can be obtained continuously in time and space; measurements can be obtained in areas inaccessible to a human observer, such as at high altitudes or deep sea. In addition, certain signatures, e.g. isotopic, fatty acid and pollen, can provide information on the movements of birds and their diet. Nevertheless, these new techniques are not appropriate for all bird species and for measuring all biological parameters. They require appreciable technical effort and are costly. Certain behavioural data still require ringing, and then automatic techniques have to be combined with visual observation


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