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RE: attracting woodpeckers with owl calls



 Robin,

Excellent reply. If one vocalization or noise used to attract a bird's
attention is "unethical" then all others should be considered as such and
this includes "pishing". I don't see a problem with reasonable use of
screech owl tapes, barred owl calls, or any other vocalization. By
reasonable use, I will offer the following examples: exclusion of endangered
species for non-scientific purposes, continued broadcast once the bird is in
view and obviously aware of the noise, any noise application that subjects
the bird to higher likelihood of predation or any use in close proximity of
known nests that might affect the incubating bird. I'm sure there are many
instances where most folks would agree that using vocalizations are
inappropriate. Common sense applies here as much as anywhere else. Without
the application of vocalizations and noise attractants, volumes of data that
was collected would not have been otherwise for many species. I certainly
don't know how in the world anyone studying barred owls could possibly get
anywhere without tape-recorded vocalizations anyway. Almost every study
involving surveys of areas for barred owls has utilized taped broadcasts.
Bottom line for all...folks should just carefully consider all circumstances
in which a "noise" is used to attract birds. 

Eric Harrold
Charlotte, NC