Re: [SBB] Why two leg bands?

[Siobhan Ruck <[[email protected]]>]

The silver band is a Bird Banding Lab (BBL) band.  It has a unique 
identifying number that connects to a specific bird banding record 
through the BBL.  This type of band is used for (more or less) all bird 
banding in North America - from hummingbirds to eagles - and variations 
are used throughout the world. 

Since the numbers on the band are hard to read in the field (especially 
on smaller birds) some banders who need to be able to track individuals 
in the field apply a second band (or even more) with larger numbers that 
can be easily read with a scope or even binoculars.  The color of the 
bands often relates to the year the bird was banded, or the location or 
other aspects of the study.

You can find more info about it at the Bird Banding Lab website 
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/

(I just tried the link and it's acting squirrely... try 
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/birds/ and see if you can get it from there.  
If that doesn't work, just Google "Bird Banding Lab" and you'll get lots 
of info.)

Siobhan Ruck, SF

Mark Bohrer wrote:

> I've been out capturing images of the burrowing owl family at 
> Shoreline. I've noticed one of the parent birds has not one but TWO 
> bands, one on each leg: http://tinyurl.com/bwqen
>
> Here's a closer view of just the legs: http://tinyurl.com/844rv
>
> Why were two bands needed?
> And is it possible to tell who banded them from the bands?
>
> All answers appreciated.
>
> Mark Bohrer
> Mountain and Desert Photography
> www.mountain-and-desert.com
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