An Exciting Band Return!All of our patients (except vultures and birds that have not tolerated tempo
An Exciting Band Return!All of our patients (except vultures and birds that have not tolerated temporary bands while in captivity) are given a band issued by the Bird Banding Laboratory at release. The bands vary in size but are all made of aluminum and are inscribed with contact information for if the bird is ever captured again (alive or dead). We feel privileged to have the necessary permits to do this because it provides us with valuable information. Bird banding data is collected all over the world and is used in both research and management projects. It is essential in studies related to dispersion, longevity, migration, social structure, behavior, population, game bird management, plus many more. It sounds a little mundane but it provides us with excellent data about raptors and how we care for them. It really is one of the coolest things that we do. Over the years, we have received over 450 band returns (we are working on an in-depth study right now - stay tuned!). Some returns are sad but they teach us a lesson about our process - but some are really incredible - like this one, for instance:We admitted a barred owl over the weekend that was banded. Unfortunately, it had to be euthanized due to the severity of its injuries, but it was released over 18 ½ years ago. 18 ½ YEARS! It was admitted in 1999 and at that point was AHY (after hatching year), meaning it could have been 2 years old or 10 years old. We didn’t know - just definitely an adult. In 1999, it was trapped in a chimney and released the same day. This time it was found about 500 ft from where it was originally found almost 19 years ago. This individual is now the second oldest wild barred owl ever reported to Bird Banding Lab. WOW! Think of all the baby barred owls she has dispersed across the area. That is a success. -- source link