GB Fledglings - pics - more pics

GOULDYGIRL · Post by **GOULDYGIRL** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:20 pm

They are adorable Sally. Best of luck with them. I love the tinies!!

Renee

Post by **Sally** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:54 pm

mickp wrote:congrats Sally. good luck keeping the bands on them. ended up waiting till mine had been out of the nest for about 3 weeks before banding as every band before that came off.

You're right, mick. This morning, #1084 was off the leg. I rebanded it, and then later found band #1085 on the floor of the cage. I kind of wondered, as these bands slipped over the ankle joint and then over the back toe as if there was nothing slowing it down at all. I decided to try size A again, and this was more normal--a bit of a catch at the ankle joint, with small tug pulling it on over the joint. Hopefully, this will stay on. If the others lose their B bands, I will replace with A. Last season, I never tried to closed band any of the GBs, so this is a learning curve.

Post by **Sally** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:22 pm

Well, all four babies now have size A bands. I had rebanded the two that lost their size B bands, replaced them with A bands. I kept watching the other two, and I worried that the size B band was so big, they might catch on something, or get it caught over their toes and cut off circulation. Normally, you cannot take the closed bands off once they are put on, unless you use a band cutter, which I don't have (next thing I need to get). I figured that these bands went on so easily, maybe they would come off as easy. Sure enough, a little lubricant, slid the band up the leg till the back toe could go thru the opening, and the bands just slid right off.

I can't band these GB babies (or any of my other waxbills) while still in the nest, parents just won't tolerate it, so I band them after fledging. Just for everyone's information, you can band GB fledglings with the NFSS size A band. There is no way any band would stay on if I tried to band at say, 7-8 days.