Encounters Banders Should Report

A bander will encounter many previously banded birds. Encounters of bands from foreign countries or private banding programs should be reported to the appropriate Bird Banding Office. The types of encounters that should be reported to the Bird Banding Offices are described below. In cases of doubt, an encounter should be reported.

• Birds BANDED by someone other than the bander or his subpermittees should be reported to the Bird Banding Offices. Occasionally, two or more banders work in the same general area and catch birds banded by each other. These banders should exchange these capture data between themselves and only unusual encounters should be reported.
• Any bird that has moved outside the original 10-minute block is a foreign retrap and may be reported if it is a straight-line distance of four miles or more from the banding site. Game birds trapped in adjacent 10-minute blocks during the same banding operation (e.g. pre-season), need not be reported.
• Large numbers of foreign retraps should be reported in a list rather than individually. The report should contain all information required on the pink recovery form (Form 3-1807). Where possible, group similar encounters by How Obtained, Location, and Date.
• A bander should keep his own records of "returns" banded under his permit and should not report them. Returns are defined as "birds observed or recaptured and released alive with a band attached within the same 10-minute block of latitude and longitude in which they were originally banded and at least 90 days from the date of banding".
• When a bander finds a dead bird that was banded by him in the previous 90 days and in the same 10-minute block and before a schedule has been submitted to the Banding Office, he should destroy the band and indicate "Band Destroyed" on the schedule. If dead birds are found within 90 days and schedules have been submitted, inform the BBL in writing that they should be deleted.
• The reporting of birds color-marked by the bander himself or his subpermittees should be done in accordance with the instructions on other returns, above.

Sightings of color-marked birds not marked by the bander himself should be reported to the Bird Banding Office. Information needed includes the species, type of marker, position of the marker, color combinations and code if present, age and sex if known, and date and location of the sighting. Other observations about behavior, presence of other birds, etc. are also welcome. If the bird has a metal band and the number cannot be obtained, indicate this on the report.

The Bird Banding Office maintains a file of color marking authorizations, organized by species and type of marker. Banders with color-marking authorization will be requested to send details of their investigation to the observer.

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