Tips on constructingmonofilament nylon noosesfor raptor traps M. Alan/enkins

After readingKahn and Millsap'sarticle on Short- The best point for attachingthe noose on wire earedOwl (Asiof/ammeus) trapping (1978, NABB meshis diagonallyacross the junctionof two wires 3:54),I thoughtit mightbe usefulto relate my ex- as illustrated in Figure lB. The line is fastened to periences with monofilament nylon nooses for the trap with the sameknot that is used to form the raptor traps.Kahn and Millsap statedthat only 4 noose.To attachthe line (bestdone before forming of the 10 owls that landed on their trap were thenoose) and makethe noose,proceed as follows: noosed.I have beenusing a runningslip knotwith Cut a lengthof monofilamentnylon fishingline of noose traps -- primarily bal-chatris-- for over a the proper strengthto 4.5X the desireddiameter of decadeand it, alongwith othertechniques, has in- the noose.(It is easiestto cut many lengthsof the creasedmy capturesuccess. line simultaneouslyby coiling the line around a cylindricalobject which has a diameterequal to Non-fluorescentcolors of monofilamentnylon fish- the desiredline length,slipping the coilsoff and ing line mustbe used,but camouflagingthe nooses cutting at one point.) Then tie a small overhand with paint destroysthe usefulnessof the noose knot in the lengthof line leavingapproximately knot described here because of the increased fric- 15% of the line's lengthas an end. Thread the un- tion. If somecamouflage of the noosesis desired, knottedend throughthe overhandknot and pull the nylon line will take water-solublecloth dyes; the overhandknot as tight as possibleto form a black is the best color. The test strength of the loop asshown in Figure1A. Passthe unknottedend monofilamentline usedin constructingthe nooses of the line aroundthe point of attachmenton the is important.Nooses made of the weaker strengths trap (a small crochethook is useful during this of line close more easily and are preferable for operation)and throughthe loop. Pull the loop as smallbirds. Four lb. testline formsan easilyclosed tightas possible,then pull the unknottedend up- noosethat will hold an American Kestrel (Falco ward -- tighteningthe line aroundthe trap. The sparverius);line of 20 lb. testwill hold largebuteos resultis a line tightlyattached to the trap which if the trap is weightedbut not anchored. will remain upright without tediousgluing. This

EN,• OVERHANDKNOT•'•'•'•.• (TIGHTEN) 15"/oo(,• •

OVERHANDKNOT (TIGHTEN) . _/ v •x_.lL_},)__LO0 P 15% • END •

Figure1. Runningslip knot

Page 108 North American Bird Bander Vol. 4, No. 3 uprightposition is important,as the nooseloses its necessitatesreplacing or retying every noosethat effectiveness if it lies flat. is pulled closed during a capture. The knot of a tightenednoose can be cut off at the distalend and To form the noose from the free end, tie another retied at least once; however, this results in a overhand knot (again, leave about 15% of the smaller diameter noose. lengthas an end}around the uprightportion of the line andpull the overhandknot tight to form a loop This knot is useful on bal-chatris, noosed pigeon {FigurelB}. Invert the loop over the uprightpor- harnesses,or any othernoosed trap suchas the one tionof the line {Figure1C} and make the loopsmall describedby Kahn and Millsap. while still allowingenough space for it to slideup I thank ScottW. Sawby for initially showingme and down the upright portion of the line with how to construct the noose and Charles P. Stone, minimal friction. Pete Bloom, and Charles T. Collins for critically readingearlier drafts. • The advantageand disadvantageof the running slip knot arise from the same characteristic-- it U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Wildlife tightensclosed when pulled and doesnot reopen. Research Center, Federal Center, Building 16, This means a better capture rate, but it also Denver, CO 80225.

Round-trip journey of a Brown-headed Cowbird

Robert A. Montgomery

Foreign recoveriesof banded birds are not an un- was 105mm. No repeatsare recordedfor thisbird, common occurrence; However, when a banded but on 30 August1971, Harold Mathiaek captured bird is recovered by another bander, returns the this individual at his banding station in Horicon, followingseason to the originalbanding site and is Wisconsin(432-0883]. On 27 June1972, I recaptured again recaptured, this is a rare occurrence.In a the bird again. On the last date it weighed 51.5g, brief surveyof thebanding literature, I foundonly had 0 fat class,and the wing chord was 109 mm. one otherinstance of thistype of recoveryto have While homing to breeding and wintering areas is been reported.Amelia Laskey(1973) reported a not unusual, the fact that this individual made a Purple Finch [Carpodacuspurpureus) she banded flightof almost100 miles northwest and returnedto on 24 February 1972at Nashville,Tennessee. This its breedingarea the followingspring is a rarely bird was recapturedin Connecticuton 8 May 1972 reportedevent. I was able to find only one record and returned to Nashville on 15 January1973. of a similar round trip. During the summer the Max McGraw Wildlife If you have similar recordsin your files, please Foundationconducts a trappingp. rogram for share them with others. Only by publication of Mourning Doves [Zenaidura macroura) as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's webless your data can our knowledgeof the biologyand movement of birds be increased. • migratory game-bird program. The Foundation is locatedin northeasternIllinois near Dundee (420- 0881).As part of the normaloperation I band most Literature cited: otherpasserine species that are capturedin the 1" x 2" meshfunnel traps.In addition,most of those Laskey,Amelia R. 1973.A longevityand roundtrip capturedare weighedto the nearest0.5 g using record of Purple Finches.Bird-Banding 44:27. Pesolascales, and wing chordis taken. Wood, Merrill. 1969.A birdbander'sguide to age On 9 June .1971,I banded an SY male Brown- and sex of selectedspecies. College of Agric., headedCowbird [Molothrus ater) (Wood1969, p. Penn. State Univ. 188 pp. 145) (band no. 69-153262).At capture this bird Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, P.O. Box 194, weighed48.0 g with no visiblefat, and wing chord Dundee, IL 60118.

Jul.-Sep.1979 North AmericanBird Bander Page109