That is
why I for one prefer to bird alone or the most a twosome. So MNS & Bird
Tour should not organised birding outing anymore issit?
Ecotourism has become a major strategy in conservation. The hope
is that the financial benefits of bringing tourists to see native plants and
animals in their natural environs raises local interest in protecting those
environs. Tourists enjoy seeing birds and other animals engaged in their daily
activities, and ideally those birds and animals are more assured of having
intact habitat.
Recent research has uncovered a downside to this
arrangement, however, one that should be familiar to anyone who has taken a
wilderness walk with a child: Human voices tend to scare off the very wildlife
we are interested in seeing.
Daniel Karp and Roger Guevara played recordings of human voices
along transects through high density bird community habitat around Refugio Amazonas, an ecotourism lodge in
southern Peru. Censuses of birds were taken following the broadcasts, by aural
and visual counts.
Detection counts of birds along the transects after the
recordings were played decreased by as much as 37%. This was true both in
locations frequently visited by tourists and in remote locations where humans
are rarely seen.
A decline in animal sightings has the potential to reduce
interest in ecotourism activities, eroding support for environmental
protection. It also means that the birds’ typical behavior patterns are being
disrupted.
The reduction in bird calls and sightings is likely the result of those individuals adopting predator responses that render them less visible. This time spent hiding from potential danger may mean less time spent foraging, defending territory and attracting a mate, all to the detriment of the birds’ overall health.
The researchers found no evidence that birds might be becoming
habituated to human voices. The decrease in census numbers following broadcasts
of human voices was the same in locations where birds were likely to encounter
people on a regular basis as in locations where avian-human interactions are
infrequent.
If birds were becoming habituated to human voices, one would
expect the decrease in census numbers to be smaller in higher traffic areas.
Fortunately, this is a problem with a fairly easy solution.
Operators of ecotourism resorts and wildlife tour guides can promote a silent
approach to wildlife viewing. Benefits will accrue to both humans and animals –
tourists are more likely to see the species they are interested in, and those
species are less likely to have their typical behaviors disrupted.
The adage “take only pictures, leave only footprints” can now be
amended to include “hear only animal calls.”
--Karren Bassler is a contributing writer based in Madison
Wisconsin and a consultant with Superior Nonprofits, LLC
Hi Mike , this is interesting and i agree with the findings .We (bird couple-Robin and Cecilia ) do enjoy birding quietly and it does lead to more encounters with birds . We live in T .Melawati .KL. Do you mind if i shared this article on my FB ?
ReplyDelete