What is Birdsong?
Why do birds have rings?
Who puts the ring/strap on the bird?
How long is the history of bird rings?
How are birds strapped?
How to remove the bird ring?
What do the numbers on a bird’s belt mean?
Where can I buy bird rings?
Do you need a license to tie a bird?
Is bird ringing cruel?
What do you do if you find a tagged dead bird?
If you’ve ever found a small metal ring on a wild bird’s foot, you’ve probably wondered what the tag is for and what data it can tell us.
Bird banding — also known as ringing — is more important than ever, allowing us to understand population changes and species decline. But how do these tiny rings help research, and what can we learn from bird rings? Read on to learn about the great value of tagging and tracking birds.
Bird tapes are an important tool that have given us incredible insight into valuable aspects of bird life that we would otherwise be unable to track. The banded distributions let us know how far the birds traveled, whether they returned to the same breeding grounds, and the natural lifespan of different species in the wild.
By comparing data on ringed birds, it is possible to accurately estimate any population increases and decreases, and to investigate how changes in the environment and habitat affect where the birds breed, forage and establish territories.
Migration patterns can also be studied to better understand where visiting birds go once they leave our shores. In the unfortunate event that a ringed bird carcass is found, it could yield important data on the spread of disease in birds or support studies of life expectancy in different species.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history, meaning and usefulness of bird banding, and how it’s done, read on.
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) ringed (banded) bird
What is Birdsong?
Bird strapping involves fitting a small colored ring to a bird’s leg – each tag is printed or engraved with a unique code, which is then registered in a database and can be used to support research into trends and habits of bird populations around the world.
While leg rings are probably the most widely used form of marking in the world, birds are also marked in other ways, including the leg flags of herons, waders and long-legged shorebirds, the collars of geese, and the wing marks of birds of prey.
Why do birds have rings?
If you find a bird with a band on its leg, it means it was handled by humans at some point in its life. Poultry birds may have been ringed as a form of identification so that they could be easily returned to their owners if they somehow escaped.
In wild birds, wristbands are also a form of ID, each tagged with an individual tracking number and address for reporting data to bell-ringing agencies.
Ornithologists’ scientific call to robins
Who puts the ring/strap on the bird?
In the United States, bird banding is governed by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and requires a federal banding permit. Only official bands issued to approved federal band associations are authorized for use and should only be installed by licensed professionals.
In the United States, there are only about 2,000 master-marking licenses, and an equal number of sub-licenses, which have been awarded to federal and state conservation agencies, university research departments, and bird observatories.
In the UK, only specially trained ornithologists are allowed to wear wristbands on wild birds, and they need a license to do so. Licenses are issued by the British Trust for Ornithology on behalf of Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and Natural Heritage Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is responsible for issuing bell ringing licences.
ornithologist tying a bird
How long is the history of bird rings?
In 1903, the world’s first official band scheme was introduced at the Roschiten Ornithological Observatory in Germany. Hungarian, British and Yugoslavian plans followed.
British bird song history
The origins of British bird song began with The Ringing Scheme in 1909, which combined two different schemes – one at the University of Aberdeen and the other associated with the British Journal of Birds.
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) formalized the current scheme in 1937 and since then increasingly sophisticated tracking and marking methods have been introduced.
By 2021, more than 900,000 birds will be kept in captivity in the UK and Ireland each year.
History of Banding Birds in the United States
In 1902, Paul Bartsch of the Smithsonian tagged 23 black-crowned night herons in what is considered the first official tagging record in the United States.
The American Bird Banding Association was formed in 1909 to conduct banding before the United States (1920) and Canada (1923) established federal programs under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty.
The USGS collates data from boundary reports submitted to the Bird Boundary Laboratory (BBL), which in 2022 reported receiving more than 64 million boundary records since 1960.
Perched northern cardinal with prominent bands on legs
How are birds strapped?
A common method of catching small birds is to set up a fine-mesh fog net between two tall poles. The fog nets cause no physical harm and minimal distress to the bird itself, and the subsequent song is a relatively quick and easy process.
- Birds caught in netting are then safely removed by qualified handlers who measure the bird’s legs with leg gauges to determine the correct size of the ring.
- Then install and secure the ring with a pair of ring pliers.
- Measurements, including wing length and weight, are taken before the birds are released back into the wild.
Blue tit in fog net, ready to chirp
How to remove the bird ring?
Never attempt to remove a ring from a wild bird yourself, as the bird’s legs are fragile and can be easily damaged if twisted or held too tightly.
Ringbirds do not have to remove their bands unless the removal is authorized by a licensed or registered organization, if the band may have been damaged and caused distress to the birds.
A licensed specialist will be able to safely remove the strap by cutting it, usually under general anesthesia.
What do the numbers on a bird’s belt mean?
The number on the bird band is unique to that particular bird and is registered with the Bird Song Agency, details of which can be found in the database, including the species, the location of the bell and the date of any observations.
The information provided by the band allows anyone who spots a ringed bird to report their sighting, including the name of the band authority.
Color is often used on bird bands to make it easier to report sightings from a distance.
A sleepy banded blue duck
Where can I buy bird rings?
In the United States, it is only legal to wear the official Federation band on wild birds. These are not available for general sale, and it is not legal for unauthorized individuals to install unauthorized bands on wild birds.
Songbird bracelets are sold only to registered and licensed individuals. These can be purchased through the organization itself, which usually has a website and handles online sales for members and those who are fully licensed.
Do you need a license to tie a bird?
Installing straps to birds requires a license or permit, and these are only granted to a limited number of specialists with advanced training in bird handling.
In the United States, bandmasters who train and work under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act are strictly regulated and are the only people legally allowed to tag wild birds for release.
In the UK, licenses are issued under the supervision of the British Ornithological Trust, which operates on behalf of conservation agencies in each of the constituent countries of England, Wales and Scotland.
Commercial breeders don’t need a license to wear wristbands on the birds they keep, such as canaries and finches, because the birds aren’t released into the wild.
juvenile osprey chained
Is bird ringing cruel?
The strapping isn’t cruel or harmful, and while the initial act of being caught and handled by the fog net while the ring is being fitted and taking measurements can be temporarily distressing in some cases, there are no long-term aftereffects and the band really isn’t in any way Restrict or impede movement.
The Bird Belt allows the researchers to map trends, and in some cases avoid any future harm to the survival of the birds, and it says any momentary stress of the initial fit is outweighed by the benefits of valuable data research.
Color Circle Turnstone, Devon, UK
What do you do if you find a tagged dead bird?
Data from dead-tagged birds add to an important study of trends in global bird populations. In the past, tagging agencies have required spotters of tagged birds to send the tagged carcass to them for investigation, but increasingly, reporting just the number on the tag is enough for researchers to get to work.
If you’re in Europe, the Euring organization covers all European labeling schemes and has an online system for reporting ring numbers, depending on the style and color of the ring.
The British Trust for Ornithology specializes in tagged birds found in the UK and invites any finders of dead-ringed spotted birds to report tagging details online before the bird carcass is safely disposed of.
In the United States, findings should be submitted to the American Bird Banding Laboratory, including the date and location of the discovery and the circumstances of the sighting or band recovery.
A certificate of appreciation is usually sent to confirm a report giving details of species, age, any previous sightings and measurements.
Expert Q&A
ask a question
Do you have a question on this topic that we haven’t answered yet? Submit below and one of our experts will reply as soon as possible.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
