I noticed one of three Pied Oystercatchers at Merimbula today was a lot shorter than the other two. A closer look revealed that it had no feet.
Sent from my iPhone ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Comments
12 responses to “Short Pied Oystercatcher”
Jeremy
The fishing line does not rip the bird’s foot off. It abrades the skin, tendons, blood vessels, until the foot atrophies.
Cheers
David
Sent from my iPhone
disabled. He claimed that there was no evidence that the trauma had been caused by bands. ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Thanks Mike. I was a little skeptical about the fishing line/rubbish explanation since it seemed unlikely to tangle so tightly as to cut off circulation, or for birds when tangled to fly away with so much force as to rip their feet off (not to say that could never happen).
Jeremy
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I do not want to start up a debate about the pros and cons of banding, as that has happened too often on this site, but I can’t leave Mike’s Carter’s assertion that bird bands and clams are the major cause of toe loss in Oystercatchers unchallenged. Firstly bands are placed on the tarsus or tibia of oystercatchers where they would have no effect on the toes of the birds. Clams/pipis may be the cause but fishing line is also a real threat. I am aware of a number of incidents where fishing line has caused damage to, or the loss of, an oystercatcher’s leg. In one case the bird was not banded and in another the bird was carrying a numbered metal bird on one tibia (above the joint) and a flag on the other tibia. The bird with the band and flag only had fishing line on the lower legs and there was none tangled around the band. Despite this it was implied that the flag had caused the problem. Once a bird is banded or flagged it is convenient to blame the banding/flagging for any injury that befalls the bird even when it is clearly not the case. I know of no proven case of a band or a flag injuring the leg or legs of oystercatchers. Mike’s observation of an oystercatcher carrying a number of bands would relate to the former practice of placing one numbered stainless steel band, along with a number of colour bands, usually made of plastic or similar, on both legs. This was the case in Victoria and birds carrying these bands have been recorded as far from the banding site as the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, where no inconvenience was observed. Despite this it is now usual practice to place only one numbered stainless steel band on one tibia and an engraved flag on the other tibia, thus reducing the number of bands used. It is most unlikely that Mike’s limping oystercatcher was limping because of the bands. It may have injured its leg in a number of ways including being caught in a clam or pipi shell, being hit by a vehicle, flying into powerlines, being attacked by a dog or fox etc, etc. I am disappointed that banding has, once again, been blamed for injury to birds without the necessary evidence to support the claim. The extraordinarily high number of flag sightings of Pied Oystercatchers that I have banded and flagged on the NSW north coast at places such as Stradbroke Island, Queensland, and at Sydney and the south coast of New South Wales indicates that most young oystercatchers that are banded and flagged survive to an adult age despite the many natural and unnatural threats that they have to endure. Please, if anyone has documented evidence that shows that bands or flags have injured or are injuring oystercatchers please provide it to me as the aim of the banding is to assist in the conservation of a threatened species and not to harm it. But please I need evidence and not ill informed opinion.
Greg Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460 0266493153 0429601960
The biter bit Mike!
A Donax could certainly exert great force.
I always enjoy watching Oystercatchers and I now have another reason to spend more time doing so.
I haven’t noticed Sooty Oystercatchers with missing feet. I assume they’re foraging on rock platforms and don’t encounter bivalves.
Sent from my iPhone
disabled. He claimed that there was no evidence that the trauma had been caused by bands. ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
So could that be the main cause of Silver Gulls missing toes/feet as well? I’ve seen quite a few of them…. As well as one poor bugger missing both feet and his whole tail, who still managed to get around Port Melbourne beach and always looked quite healthy! I called him Footloose, and saw him on and off for months.
Janine JANINE DUFFY Director Marketing & Research ECHIDNA WALKABOUT PO Box 370 Port Melbourne 3207 AUSTRALIA Email: janine@echidnawalkabout.com.au Web: http://www.echidnawalkabout.com.au Tel: +61 (0)3 9646 8249 Fax: +61 (0)3 9681 9177 ABN: 72 716 985 505 Sent via Blackberry
Although fishing line and hooks cause the maiming and deaths of many birds I do not think it likely that it is the major cause of toe loss in Oystercatchers. I suggest two other causes, bird bands and clams are to blame. I’ve often seen Oystercatchers belaboured by up to five bands limping badly. Because of this many years ago the Rangers on French Island here in Victoria were reluctant to grant and possibly refused permission to band Oystercatchers there.
But there may be a more natural cause. The bivalves they seek to eat fight back by closing over their toes! David Melville, currently based in NZ is currently researching the phenomena for a paper after witnessing in China two Bar-tailed Godwits apparently trapped by clams. One remained motionless for over three minutes before escaping. He asked me for a copy of a note on the subject that I published in Australian Birding in Autumn 1999.
This is the gist of the note. On 19 January 1999 on a beach at Ballina NSW, I saw an Australian Pied Oystercatcher (OZPO) that was foraging in the wash-zone suddenly leap into the air uttering a loud yelp. A 3-4 cm bivalve presumably a pipi Donax deltoides had clamped around one of its toes. Continuing to call and obviously in some distress it flew to a height of 1.5 m shaking its leg vigorously. This dislodged the pipi which fell into the sea. The OZPO landed on the dry beach supporting itself mainly on the unaffected leg, occasionally lifting and shaking the one that had been caught. After several minutes it resumed feeding normally. Three of the 52 OZPOs on that beach were limping. According to Bo Totterman who studied the OZPOs there and incidentally had just found Australia’s first South Island Pied Oystercatcher (SIPO), one bird known as ‘Hoppy’ had lost all its toes on one foot and the stub end of the other tarsus was clubbed. The other two limpers were not so badly disabled. He claimed that there was no evidence that the trauma had been caused by bands.
Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136
Fishing line is the main culprit.
It must be difficult for an Oystercatcher to get by without feet; they cover huge distances when foraging and I would imagine that a firm stance is important when probing for food – and then there’s their crazy little running dance!
Sent from my iPhone
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
And hot foot it off again?
Tony
Did I not read somewhere that Silver Gulls sometimes lose feet as a result of landing on hot barbecues? Gary
Cc: birding-aus@vicnet.net.au Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 2:46:18 PM
Tangled in fishing line is another likely option. For migratory shorebirds (ie. not oystercatchers) they can also lose feet or toes to frostbite if they arrive in their breeding grounds too early. You often see Silver Gulls missing feet also.
Cheers, Chris
Tangled in fishing line is another likely option. For migratory shorebirds (ie. not oystercatchers) they can also lose feet or toes to frostbite if they arrive in their breeding grounds too early. You often see Silver Gulls missing feet also.
Cheers, Chris
Thank goodness for wings …. what happens to them ? Bitten off by marine critters ? Jude
David – I was there about 4 weeks ago, and saw a Pied Oystercatcher with no feet – possibly same bird – it was walking on stumps. It wasn’t with any other birds either morning that I saw it (and given that it’s in a “dogs allowed” area of beach its doing well to still be there) sandra henderson
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================