A Minimal-Stress Bird-Capture Technique

Abstract

We tested a remote-controlled sedative injector by placing it in the nest of breeding seabirds. We were able to administer an intramuscular sedative by telemetry with no apparent change in the birds' behavior. Anesthetized birds could be captured easily. This method should help minimize researcher-induced stress on study animals. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 53(1):77-80 In many avian field studies birds are caught alive. Consequently, a variety of capture methods have been employed including mist nets (Vermeer 1981), cannon nets (Mechlin and Shaiffer 1980), corrals (Walter et al. 1988), snares (Roby et al. 1981), and drop nets (Ashmole and Ashmole 1967). These techniques stress captured birds. Sedatives administered in bait also have been used to capture birds (Williams 1966, Smith 1967). However, it is not possible to select specific individuals using this method and, because the digestive status of the study birds cannot be controlled, reaction time to the drug and intensity of effect are highly variable. We describe a method for capturing nesting birds by injecting a measured dose of sedative intramuscularly using a remote-controlled syringe. We thank D. Adelung and B. M. Culik for providing encouragement and support and D. C. Duffy for comments on the manuscript. The Parks Board granted permission for us to undertake research on the Saldanha Bay Islands. The Benguela Ecology Programme of the South African National Committee for Oceanographic Research funded the study.