Where is AA?

Where is AA ??

Figure 1. Handsome male with arabic scratching on its frontal

shield. 

 AA is a large conspicuous Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) with attitude and a robust scarlet bill and forehead shield. On 2 March 2014, on the J8 pond shore between the 6^th tee and 8^th green we captured it using a whoosh net and bejeweled it with a stainless steel ring numbered 121-75201 on its left larger diameter metatarsus.  The upper right leg or smaller diameter tibiotarsus above the "knee" received white AA lettering on green background.  The diameter differences may be noticeable in the photo below. We believe it to be a male, two years or older (2+) at the time of banding.

Figure 2. Metal right  tarsus, coloured band (Darvic: brand name) left

tibiotarsus which is easier to read

Eleven months and two days later on 5 February 2015, I was thrilled to see AA near the 8^th green on the Palms, some 100metres from the original capture site.  By 21 Feb 2015, it was observed feeding near the intersection of the Pkwy and Berkshire Crescent some 220m from the earlier sighting. I was able to get another glimpse of AA on the east side of The Golf Club cruising the Club pond (D1) margin adjacent the Club House on the 23 February. One February 8 2016 while surveying kangaroos on the Palms Golf Course, AA was re-sighted feeding by itself, along side the buggy path near the hole of the 8th green. This observation represents one year 11 months and one day since its initial bond to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding scheme. It was resighted on the 9 Feb at the same area of the Palms at almost the same spot as yesterday but with three other swamphens.

AA is essentially a sedentary individual and appears to be attached to the area west of the initial banding site on the 8^th Green of the Palms. The banding site (yellow stick pin) and resightings (circles) appear in Figure 3.  Table 1 illustrates the distances in metres from the  yellow stick pin. It hasn't moved any great lengths from the banding site and it is believed this particular individual may maintain its territory year round on the Palms Golf Course. Small numbers of Purple Swamphen within local populations also display dispersal movements and may be partially migratory but no known large scale migratory movements  have been documented in Queensland.  This species tends primarily to fly overnight and as a result large scale movements go undetected or unnoticed except that on the following day bird numbers appear to increase local populations.

The efforts of banding and surveying the ponds for various species will help in determine movements and use of highly managed urban environments for species seasonal distribution and and population maintenance.

Figure 3.  The banding provenance and resighting circles. the sixth is located within the 5th resighting.

What to Look For: The white lettering on the green band stands out on the long skinny leg but one must be approximately 10- 20 metres from the tail flicking bird.  Of course, a visual aid is most advantageous. Be careful: other birds including Dusky Moorhen, Pacific Black Duck, Bush Stone-curlew (also display white lettering on green), 
Green coloured bands, tags, whatever you wish to call them, represents QUEENSLAND. I suspect other states use other colours but that information appears difficult to access for the general public.

On the other hand Black Swan also banded on Sanctuary Cove's golf courses display white lettering on red background. If you care to see one just go the Rec Pond near the Recreation Centre and experience a rather aggressive but harmless male named KPC.

If you see a marked bird, PLEASE provide the letters, colour band, bird type, date, and observed LOCATION to eckebel@icloud.com. By collecting and submitting this information you will assist the Golf Course maintain its Certification with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. It addition it will help us determine the sex composition, distribution and with the reproductive robustness, or health, of golf course waterbird populations.