Report to Zoological Museum,
activities at Copenhagen Bird Ringing Centre 1993-1997

(From:Description of activities at Zoological Museum 1993-1997)

A major feature of the period 1993-1997 has been the reorganization of the bird ringing office. The Copenhagen Bird Ringing Centre is responsible for the administration of the Danish and Greenlandic bird ringing schemes. (Administration relating to project ringing under the Danish Environmental Research Institute is, however, done at that institute.)

The database at Zoological Museum includes ringing data for altogether 3.5 million birds as well as information on 680,000 recoveries and reports, which is the largest series of such data in the world in terms of time-span. The data held at ZMUC go back to 1899, and therefore represents the best existing time series. Virtually all original recovery letters are accessible. The annual number of birds ringed by 180 voluntary ringers varies between 95,000 and 108,000, and there are 3,100-3,900 recoveries (excluding ca. 20,000 swans and 10,000 gulls) per year. While the ringing data are still recorded manually, the recoveries are stored electronically.

A large number of publications have been made by others, based on the results of the ringing scheme. However, there was very little research done at the Zoological Museum using the results of the ringing scheme. When the previous administrator of the ringing scheme retired in 1995, the continuation of the ringing at the Zoological Museum was therefore disputed. Dr. Carsten Rahbek was employed as temporary administrative leader, with the mandate to report on the results of Danish bird ringing, and of the scientific perspective of continuing the activity, the costs involved, and the needs for external funding. This work was completed in March 1996 with the production of a comprehensive report. In the meantime, a committee had been established under the Game Management Council to advise on the needs for a continuation of the bird ringing scheme. Although the attitude was initially quite negative, the release of the above mentioned report resulted in a clear recognition of the value of the bird ringing, both as a research discipline and as a tool for the management of natural resources.

The committee unanimously recommended the continuation of ringing in close collaboration between the Zoological Museum and the Danish Environmental Ministry. It was also recommended that the costs should be shared between the Zoological Museum and the Environmental Ministry, and that a long-term commitment was needed from both parts. Medio 1997 an agreement about shared responsibilities between the two bodies was signed. (C. Rahbek, J. Fjeldså, voluntary administrator of Greenland ringing: K. Kampp).