Broad-winged hawk - an uncertain identification.

 Sometimes, I wish birds carried identification tags.  A streaming banner would be nice, although that would only be useful when flight was involved.  Some birds carry leg rings that identify previously captured birds that have been tagged.  However, these are too small for general viewing and difficult to see when the feet are not easily seen.  Tattoos work for creatures where you can see skin; branding is cruel and would seriously comprise a bird's ability to keep warm and dry.  I think technology would be the best - radio tags, and we all should be equipped with a tag reader ensconced in our cell phones.

The idea is simple enough.  When you see a bird whose species or other information confounds you, simply point your phone towards it and press a button to scan it.  The embedded radio tag would release information on that specific individual.  Not only could you identify the species, you could get an entire life history.  Where the bird has been, what it ate recently, even sex and age would be available data.  The problem would be getting the tag into the bird and encoding it with data.

Once again, technology comes to the rescue.  Isn't Elon Musk putting a global satellite network around the globe to facilitate internet connections?  The satellites could ping a bird's whereabouts and record the data, either on the chip directly or store it in a databank for access when cross-referenced.  One quick scan would uncover an avalanche of data starting with species, gender, and a few interesting facts.  For the more inquisitive among us, an expanded dataset would be accessible for a small fee.

OK, well, there seems to be a few problems with this idea.  First off, how would such a chip be inserted?  Dogs and cats get them as implants for identification in case they are lost.  Someone would have to go around tagging each and every bird.  While this may work for chickens and pets, free-roaming avians may be opposed to the idea.  Then there is the problem of actually reading the thing.  Current technology limits scanning distance to a few inches.  In order to make it work the chip would have to be larger and the radio pulse used to activate it much stronger.  In fact, the chip itself could easily outweigh the bird it was implanted in.  The radio necessary to activate it would have enough energy in it to fricassee an individual on the spot.

I suppose that the best solution is just to rely on experience, a good set of field guides, and local help.  You could always post a picture of the bird and ask for someone's opinion.  What a great idea!  Why didn't I think of that in the first place?

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com