Marking Hooded crows (Corvus cornix L.) with wing-tags in Debrecen, Hungary
Abstract
The Department of Nature Conservation, Zoology and Game Management of the Faculty of Agricultural, Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen has been paying attention to crows which occur in urban environment since 2006. Especially in case of the Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix L. 1758) as its significant population growth causes several problems both in urban avifauna (nest predation) and also for the human (riot, abuse, aggression). Reflecting this, it is conceivable that their urban population control is necessary, catching Hooded Crows with live traps can be a solution. The first steps began in November of 2016 when the Department carried out a trapping experiment, and examined four types of live catching corvid traps to compare them, and test their effectiveness in an urban habitat. The aim of this study was also to mark the captured birds individually, and observe their movements around the city. Thanks to this, we can learn more about their motion patterns, area fidelity and their survival. We marked Hooded Crows with white wing-tags with unique black numbers written on them. Tags were attached to the patagium with ear tags (which is used successfully on sheeps). During more than 100 trap-days we captured 28 Hooded Crows, and several Rooks (Corvus frugilegus L. 1758). Out of 28 marked Hooded Crows we obtained data about 26 individuals, this means more than 250 records. According to preliminary results the Hooded Crows are loyal to their territories, since most of the feedbacks arrived from the area of the ringing site. The longest known distance covered by a bird was 4 km. Marked crows often move in groups, one time we counted 16 marked individuals in the same flock. Using wing-tags seems to be an effective way to mark Hooded Crows, since marked individuals are easy to spot and identify, even from greater distances, compared to birds which were only marked with coloured rings.
References
Amar, A. & Burthe, S. (2001): Observations of predation of Hen Harrier nestling by Hooded Crows in Orkney. – Scottish Birds 22: 65–66.
Anderies, J. M., Katti, M. & Shochat, E. (2007): Living in the city: Resource availability, predation, and bird population dynamics in urban areas. – J Theor Biol. 247: 36–49. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2007.01.030
Bub, H. (1995): Bird Trapping and Bird Banding. – Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 330 p.
Caffrey, C. (2000): Marking crows. – North American Bird Bander 10: 146–150.
Curtis, P. D., Braun, C. E. & Ryder, R. A. (1983): Wing markers: visibility, wear, and effects on survival of band-tailed pigeons. – J. Field Ornithol, 54: 351–356.
Emery, N. J. & Clayton, N. S. (2004): The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Intelligence in Corvids and Apes. – Science 306: 1903–1907.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1098410
Fintha, I. (1994): A dolmányos varjú (Corvus cornix) életformájának átalakulása az utóbbi években. – Madártani tájékoztató 1994. júl.-dec.: 23–24.
Gremmel, A. (1988): Understanding crow damage control. – Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University.
Hester, A. E. (1963): A plastic wing tag for individual identification of passerine birds. – Bird-Banding 34: 213–217.
Holzhaider, J. C., Sibley, M. D., Taylor, A. H., Singh, P. J., Gray, R. D. & Hunt, G. R. (2011): The social structure of New Caledonian crows. – Anim. Behav. 81: 83–92.
Juhász, L. (1983): Debrecen város ornithofaunájának faunisztikai és synökológiai vizsgálata. - Egyetemi doktori értekezés, KLTE, Debrecen.
Juhász, L., Kövér, L. & Gyüre P. (2009): The urbanization of the Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix L.) in Debrecen (Hungary). – II. European Congress of Conservation Biology, Prague 2009, Book of Abstracts, 227 p.
Kőszegfalvi, T. (2008): Dolmányos varjak (Corvus corone) galambvadászata. – Aquila, 114/115: 171.
Kövér, L., Gyüre, P., Balogh, P., Huettmann, F., Lengyel, Sz. & Juhász, L. (2015): Recent colonization and nest site selection of the Hooded Crow (Corvus corone cornix L.) in an urban environment. – Landscape Urban Plan. 133: 78–86. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurb-plan.2014.09.008
Kövér, L. & Juhász, L. (2012): A dolmányos varjú (Corvus cornix L.) színes gyűrűs jelölésének módszertana és az előzetes eredmények. – Agrártudományi Közlem. 2012/48: 43–48.
Kövér, L., Tóth, N., Lengyel, Sz. & Juhász, L. (2017): Corvid control in urban environments: a comparison of trap types. – North-West J Zool., in press.
Loretto, M. C., Reimann, S., Schuster, R., Graulich, D. & Bugnyar, T. (2015): Shared space, individually used: spatial behaviour of non- breeding ravens (Corvus corax) close to a permanent anthropogenic food source. – J. Field Ornithol. 157: 439–450. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1289-z
Mazgajski, T. D., Żmihorski, M., Halba, R. & Woźniak A. (2008): Long-term population trends of corvids wintering in urban parks in central Poland. – Pol. J. Ecol. 56: 521–526.
Møller, A. P. (2009): Successful city dwellers: a comparative study of the ecological characteristics of urban birds in the Western Palearctic. – Oecologia 159: 849–959. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1259-8
Morgenweck, R. O. & Marshall, W. H. (1977): Wing marker for American Woodcock. – Bird-Banding 48: 224–227.
Mudge, G. P. & Ferns P. N. (1978): Durability of patagial tags on Herring Gulls. – Ringing & Migration 2: 42–45. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03078698.1978.9673734
O’Donoghue, P. D., Cross, T. F. & O’Halloran J. (1998): Bill colour as an ageing technique in the Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix: A cautionary note. – Ringing & Migration 19: 1–4. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03078698.1998.9674153
Phillips, R. L., Cummings, J. L. – Berry, J. D. (1991): Effects of patagial markers on the nesting success of Golden Eagles. – Wildl. Soc. Bull. 19: 434–436.
Raatikainen, M., (1989): Variksen ja naakan talvipäivän pituus ja käyttö Jyväskylässä. – Keski Suomen Linnut, 14: 72–81.
Reading, R. P., Maude, G., Hancock, P., Kenny, D. E. & Garbett, R. (2014): Comparing different types of patagial tags for use on vultures. – Vulture News, The Journal of the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group, 67: 33–42. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/vulnew.v65i1.3
Stiehl, R. B. (1983): A New Attachment Method for Patagial Tags. – J. Field Ornithol. 54: 326–328.
Sweeney, T. M., Fraser, J. D. & Coleman, J. S. (1985): Further evaluation of marking methods for Black and Turkey Vultures. – J. Field Ornithol. 56: 251–257.
Tóth, L. (2006): Barna rétihéják jelölése váll-lapokkal. – Heliaca 2004: 69–70.
Vogrin, M. (2003): Common Magpie Pica pica, Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula and Hooded Crow Corvus cornix in Some Towns in North-estern Slovenia (Central Europe). – Online J. Biolog. Sci. 3: 688–693.
Vrezec, A. (2010): Historical occurrence of the Hooded/Carrion Crow (Corvus cornix/corone) in urban areas of europe with emphasis on Slovenia. – Annales Ser. Hist. Nat. 20: 131–140.
Vuorisalo, T., Andersson, H., Hugg, T., Lahtinen, R., Laaksonen, H. & Lehikonen, E. (2003): Urban development from an avian perspective: Causes of hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix) urbanisation in two Finnish cities. – Landscape Urban Plan. 62: 69–87. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(02)00124-X
Wallace, M. P., Parker, P. G. & Temple, S. A. (1980): An evaluation of patagial markers for cathartid vultures. – J. Field Ornithol. 51: 309–428.
Watson, J. W. (1985): Trapping, Marking and Radio-Monitoring Rough-Legged Hawks. – North American Bird Bander 10: 9–10.
