Reading NFSS Bands

[flrancho]

I bought a new finch yesterday and was quite thrilled when I discovered that one of the bands on it was an NFSS band. I'm kind of surprised this bird ended up in a pet shop.

Anyway, I examined the band and wrote down everything for record keeping/identification purposes. Without having what I wrote in front of me, I believe the band read:

NFS 11A08236

How do I read this band? NFS is obviously National Finch and Softbill Society, and I'm pretty sure one of these numbers correspond to the birds' year of birth, and such, but I'm just not sure which is which.

[purplejasminevn]

I bought a new finch yesterday and was quite thrilled when I discovered that one of the bands on it was an NFSS band. I'm kind of surprised this bird ended up in a pet shop.

Anyway, I examined the band and wrote down everything for record keeping/identification purposes. Without having what I wrote in front of me, I believe the band read:

NFS 11A08236

How do I read this band? NFS is obviously National Finch and Softbill Society, and I'm pretty sure one of these numbers correspond to the birds' year of birth, and such, but I'm just not sure which is which.

Very Good question - I would love to learn too?

[Martie]

NFS - National Finch & Softbill Society

11 = Year

A = Size of the Band

08236 = Unique and Traceable ID Number

So - your bird was born in 2011 - and since A is the smallest band size, I assume your bird is a Goldbreast or Owl or the like. If you wanted to, you could contact the NFSS Band Secretary with this information and she could put you in touch with the breeder.

[purplejasminevn]

NFS - National Finch & Softbill Society

11 = Year

A = Size of the Band

08236 = Unique and Traceable ID Number

So - your bird was born in 2011 - and since A is the smallest band size, I assume your bird is a Goldbreast or Owl or the like. If you wanted to, you could contact the NFSS Band Secretary with this information and she could put you in touch with the breeder.

Thank you ---

[CandoAviary]

Here are the band size guide for the NFSS bands.
http://www.nfss.org/bands/bandsizemetal.html

[Sally]

If you email bands@nfss.org and give this band information, Paula can get you in touch with the person who purchased this band.

[jamezyboo21]

I have to finches with leg bands.
One is NFSS 12A0665 so I'm assuming born in 2012.

The other leg band is different I don't think NFSS band.
It says 73AAA05 and its just a metal color not colors like NFSS bands.
If the 05 is the same meaning as the NFSS band than my male Strawberry is 10 years old.

I was hoping they were both young. The female is 3 years old I guess and the male is 10 years old. That's probably why they never had babies for the previous owner.

[Sally]

jamezyboo21 I can help you with this, I think. I told you that when my computer crashed, I lost my finch records, but I have been trying to rebuild them with some information I had printed out from time to time.

So, I do know that the NFS 12 A0665 bird was bred by me. She is out of two wild-caught birds I purchased from Ponytail Joe. She fledged and was banded on March 8, 2012. She originally had a dark green split plastic band on her left leg, which indicated her family line.

As far as the male, I'm not sure if that one came from me. My original prolific male had a similar band, AAA05 545, which I think came from a Canadian breeder. That bird came to me from a friend in Florida, who got him from another friend, so no telling when he came from Canada. And yes, the 05 indicates the year he was hatched. I have no idea if your bird 73AAA05 came from me, as I have lost those records (and I didn't even keep very good records back then). I do remember that when I got the one bird from my friend in Florida, I got two at the time, but one since died. My male with the 05 band produced either through age 6 or till age 6, can't remember which, but at age 10, I seriously doubt your male will produce. My 05 male was paired with an 08 hen, so she was still producing plenty of eggs, but they were all infertile that last year I tried to breed them. Prior to that, he produced lots of babies.

[Teagarden]

How wonderful to get info about birds purchased or obtained that have closed leg bands!
Mary

[jamezyboo21]

Thanks Sally! I was kinda thinking she was yours. I might be reading the males wrong. I think its supposed to be read the same way you said it AAA05 73. The 05 is printed sideways after the triple A's. I'm trying so hard to get strawberries but their all out of state and have to be shipped which I don't know how that works but I don't know if I could afford birds being shipped to me. That's why I forced myself to drive to Georgia to see Donna.

[Sally]

jamezyboo21 What I would do is try to find a young male to pair with that hen. Since she is only 3 years old, you still have time to get plenty of babies out of her. Your male is most likely way past breeding age (though I'd still set them up right away, just in case I am wrong about that band information). You could always check with Candace Miller, I think she is working with them now, or she may be able to order one for you in one of her shipments.

How wonderful to get info about birds purchased or obtained that have closed leg bands!
Mary

Yes, Mary, that is one of the great benefits of closed-banding. jamezyboo21 had contacted me already, as he was getting some birds from Donna, and she had said some of her birds came from me. I had a computer crash last year, and I lost so many of my records! I learned the hard way the importance of backing up data.

Some of my records had been printed, some were in other places, so I have been working to reconstruct, but I have big holes in my breeding records. As soon as I saw that one NFS number though, I thought it was one of mine, as most of my size A bands have been in the 0400, 0500, or 0600 range from one year to the next. Sure enough, I did have a copy paper of the bands I applied to Berries in 2012!