Bird Bands
Reporting Bird Bands Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Your first stop to report a banded bird.
Specific bird species you might encounter-
Turnstones and Black-bellied Plovers--We color banded Ruddy Turnstones and Black bellied Plovers near Nome, Alaska in June 2004. Each bird wears a USGS silver metal band plus some combination of color bands. It is important to record the exact sequence on each leg. Please send observations along with location, date, your name and background (biologist, birder, etc.) and how to contact you if you are willing to be contacted should we need further information. Report any sightings to: PHIL BRUNER Biology Dept., Brigham Young University Hawaii, 55 220 Kulanui St. Laie HI 96762. (EM: brunerp@b..., PH: 808-293-3820, FX: 808-293-3825).
Phainopeplas--I'd really appreciate it if all
birders in southern NV and south-eastern CA could keep their eyes open for
banded phainopeplas. If you do see one, please try to determine its color
combination. The way to read the bands is top-bottom, bird's left to bird's
right. In other words, if a bird had a red band on top of a blue band on its
left leg and a green band on top of a metal band on its right leg, the combo
would be: red blue/green metal The colors I used were:
red, orange, yellow, royal blue, pale green (almost white), bright green,
black, white, Thanks for your help! Oh, it would also help if you recorded
the sex of the
bird.Cali Crampton, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University
of Nevada Reno, Reno NV 89557 Website
Burrowing Owls
In the summer of 2004, 6000 burrowing owls were banded in the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Each bird is wearing a color metal band on one leg and
an aluminum Fish and Wildlife band on the other. Some bands are butt-ended
while others are lock-on bands with a flange. Every color band has an alpha-numeric
code which can be difficult to read but it is possible with a scope. If you
see a banded owl, please record the color of the band, the code, whether there
is a line in the middle of the band, and which leg the color band is on. Burrowing
owls have been found wintering from Washington state to Texas and Mexico.
Recently a banded burrowing owl from Lubbock, Texas, was found in Michoacan
and another from Saskatchewan wintered in south Texas. We request your help
in locating more of these owls. If you locate a banded owl, even if you are
not able to read the band yourself, please contact me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Thank you. Helen Trefry, phone 780-951-8693, fax 780-495-2615 Helen.trefry@ec.gc.ca
Swans
Darlene Kilpatrick is responsible for monitoring the birds' winter movements
under Lauri Hanauska-Brown of the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game. Darlene's
contact info is darluvbug@yahoo.com
Not all banded swans are trumpeters. Various agencies study trumpeter, tundra,
and mute swan movements, and that each specie has neck collars of specific
colors. More information can be found at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/homepage/swan.htm
Trumpeters swans are given green, red or yellow collars with 3 character
combinations with one letter. Tundra swans sport gray, black or blue collars
with either 4 character combinations with the letter first (LNNN) - or - 3
character combinations with two letters (LLN, LNL, NLL). Mute swans will have
white collars only with 4 character combinations with 2 letters first (LLNN).
I will add to this list as I encounter specific requests for band information.