Bait in Bird Photography and Conservation Research

The Bait Debate

When we published our blog on The Golden Eagles of Parque Natural de Montesinho a friend of ours questioned whether we should have used bait to film these birds, and it got us thinking more about this. https://woodcockwood.com/golden-eagles-montesinho-portugal/

In fact it is a complicated issue, in part dependent on motives and objectives, and in part on the context.

Whenever we visit our wood in UK we take the bird feeder. It’s always hung in the same spot, and there’s no better way to see what is around. The locals now quickly recognise it, often arriving within seconds of it going up. Great Tits, Blue Tits and Nuthatches are the usual line up, but if it wasn’t for the feeder we may not have seen the Marsh Tits, which led us to set up nest boxes for them, and of course to photograph them. https://woodcockwood.com/marsh-tits-observations-of-a-species-under-threat/

Bait in Photography

The use of bait for photography or research is common practice. Many of the best shots of raptors have been obtained in this way. In Spain it’s possible to pay €300 to €400 for a three hour session in a hide to photograph for instance Bonelli’s Eagles coming to feed on bait. There are quite a few such opportunities and locations.

There’s a lot on the internet about the use of bait in photography of raptors. There are articles on the best techniques for doing it, and there are many expressing absolute disagreement for ethical reasons. For instance, it is suggested it can influence and change the behaviour of particular birds. By some, it is regarded as “cheating” – a good shot is the result of some luck, but more, the knowledge and cunning of a hunter, but without a death at the end of a barrel. 

Meat versus seed

Of course there’s a considerable difference between hanging up a bird feeder in the wood and leaving a large piece meat in the countryside. Meat can be a hazard to human and animal health. It’s a critical issue if undertaken in a public area, and quite correctly is controlled by regulation and legislation. As vegetarians and responsible citizens we are very aware of this, and we didn’t undertake this enterprise lightly.

Golden Eagles in Context

Golden Eagles are wonderful creatures, and certainly fit the title of apex predator.  They are among the largest of the European eagles – the White Tailed Eagle is marginally larger and the Spanish Imperial Eagle marginally smaller. They are all powerful and elegant.

Golden Eagle Populations in the UK and Portugal

In the UK there are about 500 breeding pairs. They are long lived birds – between 20 and 30 years. They reach sexual maturity from 5 to 6 years, and by that age should have found a partner and territory. Once established, they will stay in that territory, rearing one or occasionally two chicks a year. Human interference is about the only activity that will threaten their existence.

Depending on food supply, their territory will be anything from 10 to 50 square kilometres.

Other than food, their main requirement is a remote area free from human activity. In the UK their territories are mainly confined to Scotland. In Portugal, there are small populations in the north and east of the country, bordering Spain.

Protected Birds, but still Vulnerable

Juvenile birds, like the one we photographed, will leave the parents’ territory by early winter and begin a period of roaming, leading eventually to the establishment of a new territory, or the replacement of a dead adult in an existing territory. The period of roaming is the time of life when they are most vulnerable. Often, they will attempt to settle in areas where they will be shot or poisoned, in Scotland in particular, by gamekeepers protecting grouse moors.

“The satellite tag from a golden eagle which vanished in suspicious circumstances on a Scottish grouse moor four years ago has been found in a river, wrapped in lead  …. scores of golden eagles, sea eagles and hen harriers which had been tagged … have gone missing in mysterious circumstances across the UK, most frequently on grouse moors … Their bodies are rarely recovered and tags have suddenly stopped transmitting without warning.” Guardian Newspaper Report 25th September 2020.

Sheep farmers may regard them as threatening and attempt to remove them. If they cannot find a suitable new territory or partner, they may well die from starvation. 

They are protected birds throughout Europe, but obviously this means little to some country folk.

Monitoring and the Conservation of Golden Eagles

In Scotland, territories are monitored and young birds are ringed or tagged to help in their protection and conservation. In Portugal, we are almost certain there is no systematic programme to record their presence and numbers. It’s unlikely there are more than 50 to 60 breeding pairs in Portugal. They are birds to be treasured. Why else in Portugal are they called Águia Real – the Royal Eagle?

We shared the information we have on the eagles in Montesinho with SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, as it is an important record, and the team was interested.

Importance of Carrion for Juvenile Birds

During winter months, carrion forms a significant part of their diet, particularly for the juveniles. Although seemingly powerful birds and magnificent fliers, hunting is a skill that is learned slowly. 

The carrion that sustains these birds is often the by-product of legal and illegal hunting. This could be game birds and deer that are shot, wounded and die later without being found by the hunter, snared animals that die, or the remains of animals that are dismembered in situ by hunters – a year or two back Amigo regularly turned up at the house with parts of small deer that he had found.

Feeding Sites for Carrion Eating Birds

Carrion is a critical element in the Golden Eagles winter diet. We knew that a one-off offering of bait to the birds would in no way disrupt their behaviour and grow their dependency. 

We also know that disposal of waste or even condemned meat in feeding sites is conducted within the law in Spain, and is the prime factor in the resurgence of the populations of many carrion feeding birds, particularly vultures, and indeed the legislation is just for this purpose.

There are hundreds of such feeding stations in Spain, reintroduced some decades ago. These traditional “muladares”, now represent a cost effective method for farmers in the livestock industry to dispose of meat unsuitable for sale and human consumption. In turn, they have become a critical element in the conservation of scavenger bird species, particularly vultures, but also Golden Eagles, Spanish Imperial Eagles, kites, corvids etc.

Their impact on species has been closely monitored by specialists over the years, and with the exception of the changes to regulations during the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the positive impact has been significant for these populations.

And the practice isn’t confined to Spain. In the UK for instance, the Red Kite reintroduction programme uses feeding stations.The internet provides a list of good sighting points, including 8 feeding stations with feeding times, see: http://www.photographers-resource.co.uk/wildlife/locations/birds/Lists/red_kite_feeding.htm

The muladares in Spain provide a significant economic benefit for livestock farmers and the meat industry. In UK, the feeding centres for Red Kites promote ecotourism, a growing component of the rural economy. Both are important in the overall conservation of bird species.

Legal Regulations

The EC 142/ 2011 regulation, and the huge body of related regulations and directives, makes for a formidable reading task. It all relates to the “health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption“. The bottom line regarding whether it is permissible and legal to use animal products as bait for research on wildlife behaviour and conservation in a natural park, is that it is probably not, unless permissions are sought and obtained.

However, there is an enormous body of actions that are legal which have clear, massive and detrimental impacts on the environment and principles of conservation.

Legality is not a hallmark of benign and principled activity. There is always a moral and ethical dimension, and the scope for interpretation of the law is massive, which of course is why lawyers are so rich (with all due respect to lawyers and their fine profession). Often the right and the wrong of an issue is a matter of exercising sound judgement.

How this Applies to Our Project

We wished to confirm our observations that Golden Eagles are present and breed in this part of Parque Natural de Montesinho. The bait we used was sound meat from a butcher. We selected the exact location with great care – a remote site as far from human and vehicle traffic as possible.

The use of bait with a remote, motion sensitive camera is the least intrusive of research methods, which is a critical factor when dealing with such shy birds.

The project we undertook reflects a small obsession of ours to find out more. The quality of the photos and video were a lucky addition! We were immensely pleased with the result.

Chris and Chris, 26th December 2020

For more about Parque Natural de Montesinho see our other site:

http://www.livinginnortheastportugal.com

For Site Index and Full List of Birds Discussed:

• https://woodcockwood.com/site-contents-and-index/