SEDL / STP / STP680-EB / STP34978S

Laboratory Trials Using Fluorescent Dyes and Paints as Marking Agents for Quelea Studies

Bruggers, RL
Bird control specialist and project coordinator, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/United Nations Development Program (FAO/UNDP) Quelea Project, Dakar,

Bortoli, L
Bird control specialist and project coordinator, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/United Nations Development Program (FAO/UNDP) Quelea Project, Dakar,

Pages: 6    Published: Jun 1979

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Abstract

Under laboratory conditions 88 percent of Quelea quelea and 100 percent of Ploceus melanocephalus retained a suspension of fluorescent dye in a mixture of castor oil and dieseline for 42 days. Dye still was present on the ventral surfaces of the primaries 115 days after the treatments. Aerial or perhaps terrestrial applications of this dye to nesting quelea may be useful in studying the movements and nesting behavior of this species in those regions of its range where double nestings are suspected. The results of several marking trials for individual recognition under laboratory conditions showed painted leg bands and breast feathers to be the most satisfactory markings for study purposes.