FINCHforum

Is it easier to catch a finch when it's dark? Do birds generally have bad eyesite at night? I want to catch all 8 adults to inspect them for any obvious health issues and band them. Does it take two people to band the birds?

hi kathleen
it is eassier with 2 people but i have been banding birds myself since 1970,you need to have everything prepared first and laid out so that it takes as short a time as possible,laid the bird on its back with its head between your first and second finger then use your thumb and ring finger and grab the birds foot at this point the ring should be on the applicator ready to put on if you hold the bird firmly it will not struggle as it needs to feel safe ,just slide the ring on and slide the applicator tool off and you should be ok...you must be calm though and dont panic..dont worry if you dont do it first just take a deep breath and start again.....about the dark question i used to take them in the bathroom put a cloth over the ncage wait till the birds settle and then you should be able to reach in and get them one at a time the reason i chose the bathroom is there is very little to perch on if they escape ..thus making catching them very easy plus you can usually reach the light switch from wherever you sit

ken

Ken
Thanks for the help !! Catching them is the hard part...4 females, 1 baby and 2 males have been successfully banded. That little tool makes it a snap. As soon as I find out who the other 2 males are paired up with I will band them with the same color as their mate. I will wait until tonight and see who's with who to be sure I got it right, and to band the other 2 males. I banded the baby and parents with the same color and each couple with a different color. The males have the band on the right leg and females on the left. I don't know the sex of the baby yet and so therefore I may need to switch the banded leg. During the process I did my best to check under their wings and feathers for anything that looked unusual or any pests, all looked okay as far as I could see. Not to mention it was a good time giving each one a scrach on the cheek and a little kiss, especially the baby who is now 17 days old and sooooo cute. Thanks again
Kathleen

Hi, Kathleen - these are Zebras, right? They are easy to sex visually, so you don't really have to band them by male or female, but you will find that once that baby gets its adult colors, it may look exactly like Mom or Dad, and then you won't be able to tell Mom and daughter or Dad and son apart. I just put one color on the left leg of the parents, and then all of their babies get the same color but on the right leg. I can then tell at a glance if it is a parent or offspring, and which family it belongs to.

Thanks Sally
I guess I made it a bit more difficult than need be....yes, I pretty much have each pair/family in their own color, but it's not necessary to put the band on different legs of the parents, just their offsprings. I think I got it now...