Bird ringing

A Hoopoe being ringed at Cruzinha, Portugal

Bird ringing (or bird-banding) involves catching birds and placing a small, light, metal ring on one leg. Each ring has a unique number engraved on it as well as an address to which it can be sent by a member of the public in the event that the bird is found dead or injured.

Each bird caught is firstly identified and ringed. It is then assigned an age code and sexed, if possible, using a combination of features such as plumage, size and colouration of the unfeathered parts. Weight, wing length and various other measurements are also recorded, depending on the species concerned. Sometimes a bird that has previously been ringed is caught and such "retrapped" birds have their ring number noted as well as the other measurements taken.

All ringing data is carefully recorded, computerised and submitted to the appropriate national authority such as the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in the UK. This information is then shared at the European level, and stored in a database where it can be accessed by scientists.

Ringing has been going on for over fifty years in many countries all over the world, and the information gained from it has enabled scientists to extend their knowledge of bird biology, migration and ecology in ways that would not otherwise be possible. The results of bird ringing can reveal where birds are from and how old they are. Ringing activities carried out on the same location over many years are particularly important as they reveal how numbers of local populations of birds, along with bird migration patterns, change over time. Because birds are very sensitive to weather, data from bird ringing can cast light on climatic change.

Photo-guide to bird ringing

	1 Birds are captured for ringing using a variety of different methods. For many small land birds the most commonly used method is mist-netting. A mist net is a very fine mesh strung between poles.
	2 Normally the nets are invisible to the approaching birds who fly into them and become harmlessly entangled. The nets are regularly checked and the birds carefully extracted. Removing birds from mist-nets is a delicate procedure requiring considerable skill, patience and experience on the part of the ringer.
	3 As soon as possible, the bird is ringed.
	4 The bird is then examined and its sex, age and health assessed and recorded. It is then measured and weighed.
	5 Finally, the bird is released.

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At every point, the welfare of the bird takes the highest priority. Because bird ringing is a complex and delicate operation and one that could involve harm to the birds, it is strictly controlled and in most countries requires an official license. In the UK for example, ringing is carried out under the control of the BTO. All ringers must, by law, obtain a license from the BTO and a rigorous program of training is required before anyone can ring without supervision. In addition all ringing sites must be registered with the BTO, who require written permission from the landowners. Other countries have similar rules. As part of its concern for the well-being of animals, A Rocha also sets its own highest standards for how birds are to be treated in ringing.

A Rocha carries out bird ringing programs in the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Kenya, Lebanon, Portugal and the UK.

Further information on bird ringing can be found here: