Gouldian Banding

[Foosa101]

Okay, so I have been reading up on banding your Goulds - the "why's" and "how to's" but is it really necessary if you don't have a lot of birds? I only have the pair at this time. Also, do you eventually cut the bands off? My pair didn't come with bands? What I would like to do, should I have a successful clutch, is trade them for other juveniles and increase my flock.

Sorry, I know I probably posted this in the category but I wasn't exactly sure where to put this.

[L in Ontario]

You did fine posting it in the Species sub-forum.

There are many reasons for banding all kinds and types of finches. I've only ever had to cut one band off a juvie (after I banded it) when it developed some sort of infection after a leg injury. No other reason to cut a leg band off. As you know bands help identify the bird even years later and the year (if engraved on the band) cannot be lied about. That's why I only like to purchase closed banded birds.

[Foosa101]

That helps out a lot - thank you!

Now I have been googling bands all day and have not seen anything about engraving the DOB but am assuming you buy the bands with the numbers on them? Would you go by month or year? How do you do it as far a dating? Also, from what I have read closed bands are preferred over open bands?

I have read so many different things and I don't want to screw this up. Don't want to the idiot with the screw up banded birds. I am trying to place an order for the bands with the tool along with the hatchling food - in case I need it.

Trying to have everything ready should my clutch be successful. Down to 10 days to hatch or 5-6 business days for shipping.

I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed and apprehensive. Like I am in over my head.

[Foosa101]

Just found a great step by step site for closed banding which has the date and year. Must be the open bands that don't have dates. Things are becoming more clear now.

http://www.efinch.com/banding.htm

[ac12]

The band color tells you the hatch year, for bands that follow one of the organizations color schemes. Otherwise the color means nothing.
Some companies put the year on the band.

The band number is simply a sequential number with no relation to the hatch date.

No band has the hatch date, that is manually recorded in the breeders records for the particular band number that is put on a bird.

They also have numbered split bands.
I use these and use the same color scheme as NFSS to determine the year of hatch. Example 2011 is light blue.
Like the closed bands, the numbers are simply a sequential number that you record details in your records.

[Foosa101]

Awesome info, Gary!! I will do the same and thank you for clarifying!!

[ac12]

I originally was going to do family color banding, then I did a paper exercise and realized that at a certain point (I think the 3rd generation) putting all the color bands on the legs to indicate what the family lineage is was impractical.

That was when I realized that using the numbered bands, and keeping all the family info on paper was more practical. You had to look it up in your records, rather than just looking at the color band. But I could keep more data on the bird using paper records. In my case I use an EXCEL spreadsheet.

On the right leg I put a colored band corresponding to the last digit of the numbered band. example band #201, #1=brown, so a brown band is on the right leg. This way I can ID the bird w/o having to read the number on the band. I did try using a 2 digit scheme with 2 bands on the right leg, but there was barely enough room for the 2nd band. And when one of my birds got gunk stuck under the band, I realized that I have to use only ONE band.

There are many different schemes to using bands. So surf the forum for other ideas.
I think Candace puts the numbered band on one leg for hatching Jan to June, and on the other leg for hatching July to Dec.

[Foosa101]

There are a lot of great ways to do it and I went ahead and ordered two colors, the light blue and I think it was purple, but I am not really sure. I have read that some put one color on one leg for the parents and another color for the year on the other leg. I guess I will determine this when I see how difficult or not it is when I go to band them. If it's hard - they are only going to have ONE band.

FYI - You will probably getting a PM from me when I go to do this Gary.

[BigBear0007]

I just ordered 25 bands from Red Bird Products.
My initials JS, year 11- orange, split metal and numbered from 1 to 25
Keep a record book of who the parents are for that number.

Jerry

[ac12]

he he
Study the online instructions, they are pretty good. I think I used the eFinch instructions.
Then get a toothpick to be the leg and practice putting on the split band. It isn't hard but sometimes getting the tool and the split lined up with the leg is a little tricky.

Advice: Put the split band on the tool BEFORE you go to band the bird. I found it HARD to put the split band on the tool with the bird in one hand.
And if you use numbered bands, when you put the band on the bird, you are coming down from the knee to the foot, so think about which side is UP, so you can read the band. I think I put a band on a bird upside down once.

[Foosa101]

Excellent tips!! I just ordered the plastic bands this time and didn't try to go to elaborate since this is my first clutch but after I have one successful clutch I will try and build my experience. I will read the Efinch instructions prior and will most likely print them out. Oh, and thank you for the "note to self" about putting them upside down.

My luck I would be so nervous that they would all put upside down. Ugh!

[Foosa101]

Love the tooth pick practice!! Think I will start that right away when they arrive in the mail.

[ac12]

I still forget to preload the tool when I band several birds.
I preload for the first bird, but when I put that bird back, I catch the next bird. But I did not preload the bands for the next bird.

If I am more methodical and thinking straight,
I would put the bird back.
Go back and preload the banding tools w the bands.
THEN go get the next bird.

Sometimes trying to shortcut to eliminate going back just gets me into trouble.

[Foosa101]

I still forget to preload the tool when I band several birds.
I preload for the first bird, but when I put that bird back, I catch the next bird. But I did not preload the bands for the next bird.

If I am more methodical and thinking straight,
I would put the bird back.
Go back and preload the banding tools w the bands.
THEN go get the next bird.

Sometimes trying to shortcut to eliminate going back just gets me into trouble.

That is me "to the T". I can see myself not only doing it once but every time. Glad you pointed that out - I will have to tape a note to my mirror several days prior as a reminder so I MAY avoid doing the exact same thing. LOL