Summary
WildWings Bird Management is owned by Chris Feare who is doing research on the tropical seabird, Sooty Tern. Through our partnership with Aerco we are suppling Chris A-A-52082 Flat Braided Lacing Tape for this project.
Western Filament supports a wide range of projects, even research and conservation projects. We recently supplied product to WildWings Bird Management, and we want to share about what they are doing! Chris Feare is the owner of WildWings Bird Management, through which he works with birds and does conservation research. A specific portion of his work is with tropical seabirds, and he spends a lot of time in the Seychelles studying its Sooty Terns.
About The Sooty Tern
The Sooty Tern is a tropical seabird that spends the majority of their life in the air at sea. After the breeding season is over, Sooty Terns leave their breeding sites. Although there used to be little information about their lives at sea, recent research has shown that they may fly as far as 8,700 km (5,400 miles) away from the breeding sites (Seitz). However, despite constantly being at sea, these sea birds cannot swim. Their feathers have poor waterproofing which causes them to quickly become waterlogged. Due to this, they are rarely seen resting on the water. They use various techniques for catching their meals which consist of small fish and squid. With how much time they spend in air, Sooty’s take 1-2 second naps while airborne. Once it is time for breeding season, they come to shore and form colonies that can reach up to 1 million birds.
About The Project
Chris’ project starts in the Seychelles when the Sooty Terns come to nest and breed during breeding season on bird island in the Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean. During this stop, the research team secures small satellite transmitter trackers onto the birds. They are then followed to study the breeding habits and at sea behavior of these tropical birds. Chris came to Aerco and Western Filament looking for a material to use to attach the transmitters to the Sooty Terns. The material needed to be durable enough to survive many years in the tropical environment and harsh sunlight while remaining lightweight and comfortable to be worn by the birds.
After some discussion with Chris and brainstorming with Aerco, we chose A-A-52082 Flat Braided Lacing Tape. Made from PTFE Fluorocarbon Yarn, it is an excellent option for this project because of its high UV, moisture, and chemical resistance. This material was designed for demanding applications and will easily survive the sunny and salty tropical environment. The color was also an important factor, and dark brown was chosen to blend in on these black-backed birds and prevent it from becoming a distraction to the bird and being removed. Using this lacing tape, the tags are secured to the bird’s lower back by a harness that goes around the upper thighs of the bird. This tape’s flat-braid design allows small aluminum ferrules to be crimped to the ends to secure them together. These harnesses will remain on these birds for many years allowing Chris to follow and study them as they travel for many years.
To learn more about Chris’ work, check out WildWings Bird Management. If you are working on a project or searching for lacing tape solutions, contact our team today!
You can also read more about this specific project and the material we supplied by visiting Aerco’s case study!
Sources:
Feare, Chris. “Bird Island’s birds 2023 – Late for a very important date!” Wild Bird Conservation, 13 July 2023, https://wildbirdconservation.wordpress.com/2023/07/13/bird-islands-birds-2023-late-for-a-very-important-date/.
Seitz, Luke. “Sooty Tern Overview.” All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sooty_Tern/overview.
“Sooty Tern | Facts, pictures & more about Sooty Tern.” Oceanwide Expeditions, https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/to-do/wildlife/sooty-tern-1.