Bird Banding

Exact knowledge of birds has been very greatly extended by banding. The bird is caught in a trap and an aluminum band is fastened around its leg. The band has a serial number and the words " Notify US Fish and Wildlife Service Washington D.C. ." Incorrect information would make data worthless and impair the work of other banders. Anyone who finds a banded bird should send the band to the Service if the bird is dead. If it was trapped, send the serial number and a note to where and when it was it was found. Hundreds of thousands of birds are banded each year in the United States and Canada. Wintering areas of the chimney swift were unknown until 1944 when Indian hunters in Peru collected 13 banded swifts. Banding helps in bringing in information on the migration routes, length of migration and many other important facts.

John James Audubon banded birds with a silver wire. The modern technique of banding was worked out by a Danish school master, Hans Mortensen. He was first to attach aluminum rings around the legs of various European birds. His report in 1899 gave birth to banding in America. Bird clubs banded and exchanged information for the next twenty years. In 1919 The Fish and Wildlife Service took responsibility for supplying bands and keeping records. Soon after an agreement was made with Canada to use a common set of numbers so that bands of the two countries wouldn't have duplicates. In Europe banding is called ringing.