Should the band be removed?

[Sadie]

Hello, I am wondering if it is safe to leave the band on my zebra finch. Is it safe to leave it there, and does it remain there throughout the birds life? It seems like it could get hung-up on something or get infected underneath at some point. What do most finch owners do?

[MiaCarter]

Sadie -- Yes, closed bands typically remain on the bird for life. These are metal rings.

Open bands, which are typically plastic, can be removed.
But if there's no reason to remove it (e.g. an injury where swelling could pose a problem), I wouldn't.

They generally don't cause any problems. Occasionally they can complicate things if there's an injury. I've heard of rare instances where they get it caught. But this seems quite uncommon.
In fact, it would probably put the bird at greater risk trying to remove it, especially in the case of a closed band. Closed bands must be cut off. Open bands can be removed with a banding tool or needle-nose pliers.

[Harley2013]

I do not have any band on any of my birds. Yes, it could get hung up on something if not careful. I had a canary this happened to, somehow he got a piece of the bamboo nest inbetween his band and leg. He panicked, flailed around and ultimately severly broke his leg. We rushed him to ER where vet recommended euthanizing him because he was so severe and stressed, lost a lot of blood by the time we found him when we got home that day. Since then my birds I have purchased have no bands, but I do have bands for them the breeder gave me in a little Baggie for my Europeans in case the need should ever arise, considering they need a permit. However, removing them after they have been in since hatchling, could cause injury in itself. I would just leave them on, and be cautious about what you place in their cage and the hazards they could pose.