PhilR Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 I was decoying over a freshly cut field of Lucerne back in July. When I packed up and collected the dead birds I noticed one had been ringed. I sent an email to the British Trust for Ornithology giving the serial number of the ring and details of where and when I'd shot it and below is a copy of their reply to me. So it was a fair age before I shot it, 14 years since being ringed, and possibly 2 years old when ringed. Dear PhilR Thank you for taking the time to report to us details of a bird ring you found. Information about this bird and its movements is given below. Ringing Scheme: London Ring Number: FC79619 Species of bird: Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) This bird was ringed by C J Butterworth as age at least 2 years, sex unknown on 03-Jun-2000 08:00:00 at Gosmore, Hertfordshire OS Map reference TL1827 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 51deg 56min N 0deg 17min W accuracy 1. It was found on 22-Jul-2014 time unknown at Hitchin, Hertfordshire OS Map reference TL1728 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 51deg 56min N 0deg 18min W accuracy 0. Finding condition: Freshly dead Finding circumstances: Crop Protection - Shot: Extra Information: Lucerne (pea) crop It was found 5162 days after it was ringed, 2 km from the ringing site, direction W. Bird Ringing in Britain & Ireland is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Each year over 900,000 birds are ringed by over 2,500 highly trained bird ringers, most of whom are volunteers. They follow a careful training process that can take several years to complete to ensure that they have the necessary skills to catch and ring birds. The bird’s welfare is always the most important consideration during ringing activities. Ringing began over 100 years ago to study the movements of birds. While it continues to generate information about movements, it also allows us to study how many young birds leave the nest and survive to breed as adults, as well as how many adults live from year to year and how many birds disperse to different breeding sites. Collection of this information helps us to understand why bird populations increase or decrease − vital information for conservation. Details of how many birds have been caught and where and when they have been found are available on the BTO website at www.bto.org/ringing-report. Some interesting facts discovered from ringing data.... Oldest bird – Manx shearwater, 50 yrs 11 months Furthest travelled – Arctic Tern from Wales to Australia 18,000 km Strangest recovery – Osprey ring found in stomach of a crocodile in The Gambia! Many thanks again for reporting this bird and contributing to the work of the Ringing Scheme. If you would like to find out more about the BTO please check out our website www.bto.org. With best wishes The Ringing Team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Interesting info, thanks for posting it. Interesting also that it spent it's life in the same area. I always check the birds legs in the hope of a ringed bird, but it's not happened yet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Interesting Phil, thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 GOBSMACKED !!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Lots of very interesting information there. I'm very surprised at the age of the bird, and also its proximity to the ringing site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camojohn Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Thanks for the interesting write up. That pigeon done well to avoid being shot by you for 5162 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 I had a couple of ringed ones they were both less that two years old and out of the same nest , shot on different days. I had no idea they could live that long , yet I would suspect very few make 14 years old . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 At around 16 years old, I think that proves the PigeonController does not venture into your neck-of-the-woods. V interesting post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 (edited) Thanks for the interesting write up. That pigeon done well to avoid being shot by you for 5162 days Probably missed him that many times haha, joking of course. Wow, 16 years old! Mental. I've seen some birds which I thought looked a little old and just thought they were having a bad feather day, or were just a bit unhealthy - but I am astounded, I have to admit I never realised a wood pigeon would live as long. Edited September 8, 2014 by Mentalmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 wow that's some amazing data, thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 there's some great info on the site they link to: http://blx1.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec6700all.htm oldest woodpigeon being 17 years 8 months 19 days - interestingly they moved some of the shortest distances over their lives. furthest within Britain and Ireland was 478km Northumberland to Tipperary Furthest international (they state very rare with british birds) - 795km Fair Isle to Nordfriesische Inseln Germany following on from that http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob6700.htm typical lifespan is 3 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Wonder if a slow cooker would make it chewable. Amazing age, I didn't know they lived that long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 They are all that age around my patch.........except the suffer from headaches !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiffy Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 what a facinating read, had no idea how old woodies lived or how many birds where ringed in the uk each year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim85 Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Oldest bird – Manx shearwater, 50 yrs 11 months Furthest travelled – Arctic Tern from Wales to Australia 18,000 km Amazing Data there! I wouldn't have thought they lived much more than 5-6 years in the wild to be honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Geese and even ducks are long lived, it is perfectly possible for a wildfowler in his twenties to shoot a bird older than himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Geese and even ducks are long lived, it is perfectly possible for a wildfowler in his twenties to shoot a bird older than himself. Wow, that's fairly hard to get head around - I'm 25 and I could possibly shoot an older bird than me. Crazy, especially if eaten after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 That is a new one on me. There must be some pretty poor shots in your area........... only kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted September 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 That is a new one on me. There must be some pretty poor shots in your area........... only kidding. The land is one of Bakerboy's permissions and I only shoot it occasionally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 The land is one of Bakerboy's permissions and I only shoot it occasionally That explains it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 got the info some where but on our patch of land a couple of years ago, my father picked a freshly dead barn owl that was ringed, turned out it was the oldest recorded ringed barn owl in the uk. 15 and a bit years old.ringed as a chick in bourne Lincolnshire found about 20 miles away. very interesting info though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 I was decoying over a freshly cut field of Lucerne back in July. When I packed up and collected the dead birds I noticed one had been ringed. I sent an email to the British Trust for Ornithology giving the serial number of the ring and details of where and when I'd shot it and below is a copy of their reply to me. So it was a fair age before I shot it, 14 years since being ringed, and possibly 2 years old when ringed. Dear PhilR Thank you for taking the time to report to us details of a bird ring you found. Information about this bird and its movements is given below. Ringing Scheme: London Ring Number: FC79619 Species of bird: Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) This bird was ringed by C J Butterworth as age at least 2 years, sex unknown on 03-Jun-2000 08:00:00 at Gosmore, Hertfordshire OS Map reference TL1827 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 51deg 56min N 0deg 17min W accuracy 1. It was found on 22-Jul-2014 time unknown at Hitchin, Hertfordshire OS Map reference TL1728 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 51deg 56min N 0deg 18min W accuracy 0. Finding condition: Freshly dead Finding circumstances: Crop Protection - Shot: Extra Information: Lucerne (pea) crop It was found 5162 days after it was ringed, 2 km from the ringing site, direction W. Bird Ringing in Britain & Ireland is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Each year over 900,000 birds are ringed by over 2,500 highly trained bird ringers, most of whom are volunteers. They follow a careful training process that can take several years to complete to ensure that they have the necessary skills to catch and ring birds. The bird’s welfare is always the most important consideration during ringing activities. Ringing began over 100 years ago to study the movements of birds. While it continues to generate information about movements, it also allows us to study how many young birds leave the nest and survive to breed as adults, as well as how many adults live from year to year and how many birds disperse to different breeding sites. Collection of this information helps us to understand why bird populations increase or decrease − vital information for conservation. Details of how many birds have been caught and where and when they have been found are available on the BTO website at www.bto.org/ringing-report. Some interesting facts discovered from ringing data.... Oldest bird – Manx shearwater, 50 yrs 11 months Furthest travelled – Arctic Tern from Wales to Australia 18,000 km Strangest recovery – Osprey ring found in stomach of a crocodile in The Gambia! Many thanks again for reporting this bird and contributing to the work of the Ringing Scheme. If you would like to find out more about the BTO please check out our website www.bto.org. With best wishes The Ringing Team How long did it take to get the information back PhilR as I shot one early on this summer and I sent the ring number to the B T O around 6 to 8 weeks ago and up to now I haven't heard from them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted September 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 I got the email last Wednesday, so that's roughly six weeks from the date of my report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 I got the email last Wednesday, so that's roughly six weeks from the date of my report. Thanks for that PhilR , so hopefully I should hear any time now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Thanks for posting very interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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