FINCHforum

Just wondering if there are any posts on here regarding banding birds, with photos possibly? Just thought it might be a nice topic for us newbies.... especially if someone had photos to help us along!!! Thanks to anyone that can help!!! By the way, I know there's different kinds, I got split bands, (I bought plastic and aluminum ones to try both) any thoughts opinions? Thanks!

On the Finch Information Center's breeding section there's a bit about banding that may be helpful
http://www.finchinfo.com/breeding/leg_b ... eeping.php

lnlovesorange
I have babies to close band today or Friday. So, I'll see if my son will videotape or at least take pictures so the newbies can see how that works. My eyesight is poor, even with glasses, so I usually ask one of my teens to help me see those tiny claws and legs and hold the bands too!

Awesome! Thanks and i feel ya, I'm blind asa available bat!

I've never closed-banded but I've put colored split bands (plastic) on sibling birds so I can tell them apart. I find this very simple, it only requires bending back the band so it is open, catching the bird and slipping its leg in the opening, and then pinching the band closed for about 10 seconds over the leg. I've done it to all my zebras and spice finches and so far no trouble, the bands have all stayed on.

Oh, I wish you'd posted this a couple days ago!
I just banded my three zebras.

Actually, it would have made an embarrassing video as I'm too frightened to hold the babies properly. I'm afraid I'm going to squish them, with their super fragile baby bones.

So they were squiggling all over the place like crazy because I wasn't doing the proper hold (their back against your palm with the head between the pointer and middle finger, with a thumb over the chest.)

It was just a big mess with lots of squiggling, kicking and flapping. (And then there was the birds!) LOL

I recommend the plastic split bands. They don't have the cutting power of an aluminum band. If they get caught up, aluminum bands can deform and cut, whereas plastic bands just break away.
I've seen some very bad injuries from metal bands. I don't recommend them if you can avoid them.

I just use perler beeds, which I slice into thin little rings with a sharp knife. I use a dab of olive oil over the little joint in their leg, hold the back toe back, slide the first three toes into the ring, slip the ring over the joint all the way past the back toe nail, gently pull the back toe forward and done.

There is no information on these little rings, it's just for my own records. I use one colour for the breeding pair and each of their children. Then I use a different colour for each clutch. Then use a blue or pink for gender once I know it.

I keep a book with all the information written down in it, to keep track of who's who.

~Elana~

Ok, that's what i want to do. Band the babies, so that I know (once they all look alike, I don't want them in breeding, and what not) also If they look a lot alike (father like son, mother like daughter) I'm afraid I'll get them mixed up... I'd like to say I'll know my birds....but if they are identical would i really? So like you said Elana I'd like to band them, and then keep records. MiaCarter, now I'm really bummed I didn't post this sooner, that's a video I would have PAID to see!!! lol Thanks everyone for the responses, when I do it, I'll let you know!!!!

The National Finch & Softbill Society also has directions on their website http://nfss.org/band-director/how-to-band-your-birds/, but the pictorial at the Finch Information Center that debbie276 linked is far better IMO.

As far as plastic versus aluminum in the split bands, the plastic are far easier and safer to apply. Again, the leg band section of the FIC explains why. I have used split aluminum bands on the unbanded adult birds I buy, but I really have to be careful to get it exactly right.

I close band all mine with NFSS bands. It will be a couple weeks before I can video banding here, no birds ready for bands yet.

I also split plastic band for identification.