One issue with the White-eyed Vireo (or any other bird) is the definiton of "rare", or "rare in your local area" In the guidelines. White-eyed vireo is listed a "Casual" by the MOU, which sounds a lot like "Rare", but Bell's vireo and Yellow-breasted Chat are listed as "regular". Does this indicate that it is acceptable to judiciously use tape to attract the latter two,or a Conn. Warbler, but not the former? The ABA Guidelines suggest that, "other methods of attracting birds", even "Phishing" are forbidden if the bird is "rare". Are the hummingbird feeders that the Paytons put up in Patagonia AZ or the ones the Nature Conservancy puts up in Ramsey Canyon in violation of the guidelines because they regularly attract rarities (eg, White-eared or Violet-Crowned Hummingbird)? Some years ago, the Nature Conservancy greatly reduced the number of feeders they had up (so as to not overly concentrate the birds?). Then a Beryline Hummingbird showed up anyway, attracting hundreds of birders. I have been birding for about 40 years and this debate has been sporadically raging for at least 30 of them. Commercial tour leaders use tape continously to time-effectively "tic" local species, even extremely common ones (which practice is not forbidden by the guidelines). I have seen one group converge on another when they are both using tape, particularly at night. Some leaders would use mikes to tape a calling bird and play the tape back to the same bird (!) I don't know how much hearing its own voice would stress a bird, but you can imagine that it would be curious about the source, and it usually would come in. I have heard that in jungle birding this is about the only way to see many calling birds,(including ones new to science), but have only seen the technique used by researchers in Costa Rica. The only places I have seen bans on using tape work are heavily birded areas where some enforcement is possible, like the ban on tape in Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona (to protect Trogons). Jim points to one issue that is seldom discussed, and that is that most birds get "taped out" in heavily birded areas, and simply don't respond (or don't come in, even if they are calling). So a sort of natural order is restored, and the only good a tape does is to help refresh the birder's memory of the call, which may be as it should be. Just notes from experience Warren Woessner
-----Original Message----- From: mnbird-boun...@lists.mnbird.net [mailto:mnbird-bounces at lists.mnbird.net] On Behalf Of Jim Williams Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:17 AM To: pastoral at princetonfreechurch.net; mou-net at moumn.org; mnbird at lists.mnbird.net; Wisconsin Birding Network Subject: [mnbird] code of ethics Perhaps the ABA code of ethics periodically could be published here. I doubt if any one of us knows it by heart. It is helpful. It does offer guidelines. I find that my rather constant use of a camera while birding in recent years has made the code's suggested considerations and restrictions more relevant. Cameras tempt one. The code helps maintain perspective. The code can be found at http://www.americanbirding.org/abaethics.htm Jim Williams Wayzata _______________________________________________ mnbird mailing list mnbird at lists.mnbird.net http://lists.mnbird.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mnbird