Numbers of Honey Buzzards ringed in Britain
|
Year |
Ringed as pullus |
Ringed as adult |
Recovered |
|
|
|
|
|
|
prior to 1997 |
23 |
0 |
2 (see notes 1,2) |
|
1997 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
1998 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
1999 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
|
2000 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
62 |
0 |
2 |
Notes:
See Honey buzzard Facts where it says "The only Honey Buzzard from the Highlands of Scotland to have been recovered overseas was found in the Guinea Republic". This is the only reference found to a recovery of a British-ringed bird. It is assumed to be in the earlier period (when secrecy was greatest) but it may have been later.
In the report Bird Ringing in Britain and Ireland in 2001 (Ringing & Migration 21(2) p. 116, December 2002), the veil is lifted on two recoveries of British birds in the 1990s as their sensitivity has been reduced:
a. Pullus ringed Scotland GJ00763, 57 deg N, 4 deg W, 10.8.1986; recovered freshly killed by man (shot p.92, 2001 report) Lola Area, Guinea, 7 deg 52 min N, 8 deg 29 min W, 8.2.1991, 5,473 km S.
b. Pullus ringed Wales GH91445, 52 deg 30 min N, 3 deg 19 min W, 31.7.1995; recovered sick at Winchester, Hampshire, England, 51 deg 3 min N, 1 deg 19 min W, 19.10.1995, 212 km SE.
Recoveries of foreign-ringed Honey Buzzards in Britain: none were recorded in any of the years 1997-2000.
Source: Annual Reports of Bird Ringing in Britain and Ireland published in the BTO's journal Ringing and Migration.
For instance (for 2000): Clark, J A, Balmer, D E, Blackburn, J R, Milne, L J, Robinson, R A, Wernham, C V, Adams, S Y, & Griffin, B M, Bird Ringing in Britain and Ireland in 2000, Ringing and Migration 21 25-61 (2002).
Comments:
Overall very few have been ringed with just 62 pullus to the end of 2000.
The trend in numbers seems to be strongly upwards with almost four times as many ringed in 2000 as in 1997.
The year 2000 seems to have been a good breeding season with 19 pullus ringed. However, the number of broods involved is not known.
The last foreign-ringed Honey Buzzard to be recovered in Britain was in 1976. The lack of recoveries of any foreign-ringed birds in 2000 further weakens the case for the movement in September originating abroad.
