New Rules for this Project - Excluded Species
Domestic waterfowl currently make up a significant portion of this project's observations. Feral domestic waterfowl are a severely understudied group across the world, due to the fact that while they are frequently encountered by observers, most birders ignore them due to questionable countability.
Domestic waterfowl are a different category in comparison to most other escapees, however. They have established populations in many areas, which of course would exclude them in eligibility for this project in those areas. For reasons mentioned in the paragraph above, we don't have very good data for where they are or are not established. Also, domestic waterfowl are in the relatively unique position of feral individuals and free-roaming captive individuals both being common, frequently encountered, and difficult to differentiate. Therefore, I do not feel this project is a good way to keep track of released individuals of domestic waterfowl. As such, from this moment on, the following taxa are excluded from eligibility for this project:
-Anas platyrhynchos domesticus
-Cairina moschata domestica
-Anser anser domesticus
-Anser cygnoides domesticus
-Anser anser domesticus × cygnoides domesticus
-Anas platyrhynchos × Cairina moschata domestica
Wild-type individuals of all of these species are still included, if there is reasonable evidence that they are escapees. Other domestic waterfowl not listed above, such as captive color morphs of Mandarin Duck, are still eligible for this project.
Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments below.
All the best,
raymie
Escapees From Captivity admin
Comments
I am tagging all members here to that this is seen:
@amin_ghaffari @amyzw @androx @animalwonderskc @arthur-windsor @beetledude @bennypoo @biocowboy @birdwhisperer @bmvig @booksandcookies @botswanabugs @bsteer @buggybuddy @cammie @cassasauresrex @caterpillar511 @ce-ct @codrin_bucur @conuropsis @daniel112 @derryk @diegoalmendras @dysm @ekmes @fairypossum @finatic @flo_grattarola @forestrixx @george1997 @greenesnake @hemala_vladimir @imareallygoodphotographer @jasontyler @jimirob1 @jlayman @julie_sf @jwidness @kaiju_dino10 @kalamurphyking @katevbg @kaupunkilinnut @kingofrandolph @kiwikiu @krechols13 @kristendiesburg @kyle_eaton_photography @kzoebel @ladovics @maxkirsch @megnd @mercedes-fletcher @misumeta @mossman13 @mrdace @mrhybrid @mylegsareitchy @ncb1221 @neontetraploid @no_se_que_poner @okbirdman @otofrog @parus_sin @plantsplantsplantsplants @prokhozhyj @quinnbirds @radbackedsalamander @remi_bigonneau @respectable_absorption @rogerbirkhead @safron @salvadorcabrera21 @satxmar @sharrow-sparrow @sibhedgehog @sneak-e @sphyrapicus @sqfp @star3 @sunset_ruby @sussybaka219 @that_bug_guy @thecatobsessor @traxfish @tylbrooks1998 @tylermowery @tyrannidae @usupatu @uzel @vaiana @waterbottle_s @wetlandfan @yerbasanta
Good to know. I've only added a few observations, but how do you feel about established invasives like Red-eared Sliders that are from the pet trade?
@kyle_eaton_photography Established populations are explicitly outside the scope of this project. To be eligible, you must be reasonably sure the individual you are looking at was escaped or released from captivity.
In other words, there's no reason Red-eared Sliders do not count. But if the area you are in has an established population of them, they probably don't - unless you see some evidence the individual you are observing is of captive origin.
Understood, I'll remove the one I added. Thanks.
Are other domestic animals (horses, dogs, cats, cows, etc) that aren't established also barred from the project or do the new rules apply to waterfowl only?
@that_bug_guy Waterfowl only. Other domestic animals generally aren't as complicated and as such are not excluded, at least not at this time.
@raymie, sounds good to me! I'd assume if they're part of an established population, they would excluded too?
@that_bug_guy Established populations have been excluded from the project since the beginning.
Of course. Thank you.
Good to know, as I was just working through adding observations for a vacation in Miami; most, if not all of the feral species I encountered there would be considered established
just an fyi, red-eared sliders are native to Texas so not invasive here. (I'm in Texas)
Add a Comment