Sixth annual report of the Australian Bird-Banding Scheme, July 1959 to June 1960

Abstract

During 1959-60, 34,996 birds of 238 species were banded, and there were 6813 recoveries of 122 species, including 3539 individuals not previously recovered. Although the total number banded this year was 2000 below last year's total, there was an increase of nearly 3000 in the number of free-flying birds banded, a result fbr which mist-netting was largely responsible. Since 1953, 138,672 birds of 298 species have been banded, and 14,296 (10.3%) have been recovered 24,618 times (17.7%). The silver gull, Larus novae-hol2andiae Stephens, accounted for 10,737 of the birds banded. Full data for 65 selected recoveries are given. This year was notable for the first recoveries from Papua-New Guinea: a white ibis, Threskiornis molucca (Cuvier), banded in Victoria, and a little egret, Egretta garzetta (L.), banded in New South Wales; other striking recoveries were a sooty shearwater, Pufinus griseus (Gmelin), which migrated from Lion Island, New South Wales, to Japan, and a starling, Sturnus vulgaris L., banded in Tasmania, and recovered 29 days later at Brisbane.