Norwegian duck bands

[Telemark]

I might just be the world's luckiest waterfowl hunter. My second Canada goose ever had a band, and now my second Norwegian mallard has bands.

The metal band says Stavanger Museum, so I assume it was a project based at their facility. I will figure out how to report the number somehow, and I will ask for a certificate, or at least an email with the info for my records.

The duck also had two unmarked plastic bands. Does anyone know what that might be for? Is it just for easy identification from a distance?

Photo is in the comments.

 

[Telemark]

 

[Telemark]

 

[Kdog]

That's cool!

 

[Tree Spud]

Very cool! There should be an agency website where you can register the band # and you can get info on the birds origin, and they get data about the birds.

 

[Kdog]

Here are US links.

https://www.usgs.gov/labs/bird-banding-laboratory/science/report-a-band

Banded Bird Encounter Reporting

 

[Turkey Creek]

Cool! I have a few that I have harvested over the years. I used to be a pretty serious waterfowl hunter, up until about 10 years ago. The neatest one I have came off a drake Canvasback. It was almost completely worn through and about ready to fall off the bird. If I recall right they were still able to find the data for me even though it took them a little longer.

I used to work for a state game and fish agency as well. The plastic ones could be as simple as "re-capture" bands. We put them on if a bird already had a metal band when we captured it, just signifying that it had been captured again. No need for a new metal band unless the old one had become illegible, then we would leave the old one and put on a new one as well. Looking at old banding data and harvested bird data is pretty neat. Only time we ever used colored bands was when we neck collared a bunch of Canada geese for a urban study. Then we could identify where those birds were originally banded and how they were using the urban landscape.

 

[Telemark]

Here are US links.

https://www.usgs.gov/labs/bird-banding-laboratory/science/report-a-band

Banded Bird Encounter Reporting

I've used the US reporting system twice. Once for a goose I shot, and once for a banded roadkill goose.

Top tip for people who drive past ponds regularly:

During the migrations, especially Spring, a lot of geese get hit by cars. Some of them have bands.

The second or third roadkill goose I stopped to look at had a band, and I got a certificate from the Department of Interior just like for the banded goose I shot. I started keeping a pair of loppers in my trunk from then on. Never got to use them again, though.

 

[Telemark]

Cool! I have a few that I have harvested over the years. I used to be a pretty serious waterfowl hunter, up until about 10 years ago. The neatest one I have came off a drake Canvasback. It was almost completely worn through and about ready to fall off the bird. If I recall right they were still able to find the data for me even though it took them a little longer.

I used to work for a state game and fish agency as well. The plastic ones could be as simple as "re-capture" bands. We put them on if a bird already had a metal band when we captured it, just signifying that it had been captured again. No need for a new metal band unless the old one had become illegible, then we would leave the old one and put on a new one as well. Looking at old banding data and harvested bird data is pretty neat. Only time we ever used colored bands was when we neck collared a bunch of Canada geese for a urban study. Then we could identify where those birds were originally banded and how they were using the urban landscape.

Good you mention recapture. I will mention the plastic bands when I make the report. It seems the Stavanger Museum is responsible for all the banding in Norway. I found the website for reporting, so I will get that in sometime this weekend.

 

[Telemark]

Apparently, because we are so far north, there are some vagrants that end up where they're not supposed to be. After reading through the reporting system and inspecting the band, it is even labeled with the country, and there is an international section for foreign birds.

 

[Turkey Creek]

A high percentage of Snow Geese are banded in northern Canada, but could be killed anywhere from Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas. Pretty sure some of those birds even become commies and fly over to Russia on occasion.