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| Vogelwarte
Radolfzell Ringing Centre Status Report 2001
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Max Planck Research Centre for Ornithology
Vogelwarte Radolfzell
Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell
Phone: ++49 (0)7732 150160
Fax: ++49 (0)7732 150169
e-mail: ring@vowa.ornithol.mpg.de
http:\\vowa.ornithol.mpg.de
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| General
Items |
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| The
Radolfzell Bird Ringing Centre is an integrated part of the
Max Planck Research Centre for Ornithology. This institute consists
of 2 separate acting but closely interlinked departments, "Biological
Rhythms and Behaviour" (Director: Prof. Dr. E. Gwinner; Andechs)
and "Vogelwarte Radolfzell" (Director: Prof. Dr. P. Berthold;
Radolfzell). The ringing centre is located at Vogelwarte Radolfzell
which is the direct successor of former "Vogelwarte Rossitten"
which itself has been founded in 1901 and was the first institute
where scientific bird ringing has been performed at a large
scale level. |
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| Traditionally
at Vogelwarte Radolfzell (staff size altogether appr. 40; currently
6 graduated scientists) it has always been tried to maintain
a broad and diverse but interrelated research concept which
can be divided into 12 main research areas: (1) avian migration,
(2) population and behavioural genetics, (3) experimental studies
in evolutionary biology, (4) population dynamics, (5) mechanisms
and implications of habitat selection, (6) eco-morphology, (7)
ecosystem analysis, (8) breeding biology and mating systems,
(9) basic research related to conservation measures, (10) foraging
and nutrition, (11) energetics and distribution, (12) molecular
genetics and systematics. |
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| The
ringing scheme is mainly engaged in the research areas 1, 4,
5, 6, and 9, not only with data maintenance and delivery, but
also with own analysis. Dr. Wolfgang Fiedler is in the position
of the scientific head of the ringing centre since March 2000
and worked within this area since 1993 at the institute. Currently
he works together with 4 part-time workers (altogether a 4/5
technical position) and approximately 250 amateur ringers and
150 volunteer co-workers at ringing fieldstations. |
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| Today
the Radolfzell Ringing Scheme is one out of three closely co-operating
bird ringing centres in Germany (Helgoland, Hiddensee, Radolfzell)
and is responsible for scientific bird ringing in southern Germany
(Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden-Württemberg, Bayern), Berlin
and Austria. Management of bird ringing in the southern part
of former German Democratic Republic has been assigned to Vogelwarte
Hiddensee in 1964. |
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| Modernisation |
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| It
will be the future task of the Radolfzell Ringing Centre to
operate as a highly efficient, substantial and modern unit within
the Max Planck Research Centre for Ornithology. Consequently,
critical surveillance and reorganisation of all parts built
up the main focus during the last years. |
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| Development
and introduction of the new ringing and recovery database system
RINGZENT are completed. Processing of ring recoveries and management
of the ring stock has been completely migrated to the new system.
In 2001 we expect more than 50% of the ringing data to be entered
by the ringers using the component RING at their home computers
and sending the data on disc or by e-mail to the Ringing Centre
for easy import into the database. |
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| In
a similar way observers can now enter their data of studies
in breeding biology with the software NEST at home and send
it by electronic means to the Breeding Biology Database at the
Ringing Centre. This data is stored so far on registration cards
which makes access to larger datasets very slow and time consuming. |
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| The
management of the personal data, permit and report status of
the 250 active ringers as well as addresses and skills of more
than 150 volunteer co-workers at the ringing fieldstations is
now also completely based on electronic databases. |
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| All
relevant manuals, infosheets and software can be downloaded
by the ringers via the homepage of Vogelwarte Radolfzell (http://
vowa.ornithol.mpg.de). |
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| 100%
of foreign ring recoveries (currently ca. 48.000) and ringing
and recovery totals for all years and all species since 1947
are now available in electronic form for quick access and data
delivery. For some selected species (e.g. White Stork) data
from the period before World War II (Rossitten data) has been
reconstructed and entered into the database. In addition, morphological
and phenological data of 500 000 passerines from bird ringing
stations can also be delivered rapidly. |
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| A
new White Stork ring with several preferences in opposite to
the traditional aluminium rings has been developed in cooperation
with Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (Karlsruhe).
This ring is made by robust plastic material, has a completely
new designed, irreversible closure mechanism and is signed by
laser inscription technique. It is currently evaluated in field
tests. |
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| Focus
Activities |
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| The
ringing centre is currently mainly engaged in the following
programs and projects:
- Integrated
Monitoring of Songbirds (together with Helgoland and Hiddensee);
- EURING
- Barn Swallow Project;
- Long-term
population studies, breeding biology, migration and dispersal
of selected breeding bird species;
- Nest
Record Database (breeding biology of selected bird species);
- Breeding
biology and population dynamics of cavity nesting birds;
- Long-term
studies at migration stopover sites of songbirds (ringing
fieldstation Mettnau [since 1972], Galenbeck [1991 - 2000],
in close co-operation with partners: Reit / Hamburg, Rybachy
/ Kaliningrad;
- Joint
Vogelwarte Radolfzell - EURING Migration Project (large-scale
data analysis of selected species);
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| For
ringing and recovery numbers and representation of different
species in the ringing database please refer to the Ringing
& Recovery Report 1992-1999. |
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| by
Wolfgang Fiedler |
