Ornithologists lose signal of transmitter-monitored bird

Plzen, West Bohemia, Oct 22 (CTK) - Czech ornithologists who monitor the movements of strictly protected corncrakes (Crex crex) via miniature transmitters have lost the signal of the other of the two males followed, project head Jiri Vlcek told CTK Monday.

The last information came from Eritrea where the bird moved for winter from the Bohemian Forest, west Bohemia.

This year the scientists fitted two males with transmitters. The first probably died still in the Czech Republic last summer.

Next year, Czech ornithologists want to fit another ten males with transmitters within a joint Czech-Bavarian project, Vlcek said.

"The satellite signal was lost all of a sudden while it was fully operable. The corncrake was probably caught or shot dead, but it could have also perished in consequence of the demanding flight. The previous information on its movement was from a place some 1500 metres above sea," Vlcek said.

Yet, the ornithologists consider the project a success.

"We are naturally disappointed but at the same time we rejoice at that the special transmitters have proved themselves technically and particularly that they are not detrimental to the bird at all," Vlcek said.

The transmitter was specially developed and made for the purpose in the United States. It weighs five grammes including the teflon catch and it is fitted to the birds' back. It is fed by a photovoltaic panel.

"It shows that the corncrakes are endangered in this country, during migration as well as on wintering grounds. The mortality is high, that is why we would like to have more birds fitted with the transmitters so that we raise the chance of monitoring some of them all along their trip from Bohemia to Africa and back to Bohemia," Vlcek said.

According to available data, the bird called Adam who was fitted with the transmitter on June 16 left the Bohemian Forest on September 6. He was flying along the south-eastern migration route via Austria and Turkey where he overflew the Bosporus. After a stop-over at the Red Sea in Egypt, he reached the Gulf of Aden after about a week.