Tim Mangan - Dead Banded Female

Kent Justus · Fri May 16, 2014 4:09 pm

Tim,

I just found a dead banded female in one of my Troyer horizontal gourds. Completed nest but no eggs. Can't tell for sure cause of death, but could be starling attack due to examination of the head. Right leg has a yellow band. Left leg yellow band number ARC629. Can you tell me where and when this bird was banded? Thanks, Kent

Louise Chambers · Fri May 16, 2014 4:18 pm

I'm so sorry you lost a bird, Kent - could you post a photo of the bands? I am mentally trying to figure out if one is a federal band, if the bands are metal or plastic, etc - ARC - wonder if that is for Arkansas ?

Kent Justus · Fri May 16, 2014 5:19 pm

Louise, Tim has banded at three colonies here in Faulkner county the last two years, including mine (along with Beaverfork lake and Greg Pillow). I'm sure it is one of his bands. I will retrieve the bird later and take a pic of the bands. The band reads like AR C 629. He used a certain color to designate the year on the right leg, but I can't remember which color he did for the past two years.

Louise Chambers · Fri May 16, 2014 7:12 pm

Got to one of his, then. It will be interesting to hear about her story.

Kent Justus · Fri May 16, 2014 8:19 pm

Here is a pic of the bands.

M.Stephens · Fri May 16, 2014 11:54 pm

I'm sure that's one of Tim's. Sorry to hear that you lost a banded martin.

Chuck4 · Sat May 17, 2014 12:04 am

I'm sorry to hear of her death. Any idea how old she was?

Tim Mangan-Kansas · Sat May 17, 2014 6:06 am

Hi Kent:

That's a tough way to retrieve a band number; sorry. Federal band number, 1352-07284 with auxiliary band number AR C 629 was banded at your colony on June 9, 2013 from gourd #27. It was one of two nestlings banded from that nest.

Kent, the letter "C" on the auxiliary band denotes the year; in this case C meant it was banded in 2013. The yellow federal band denotes it came from your colony. Each colony I banded at had a different color painted on the federal band. I was glad to see there was no chipping on the yellow federal band. I used a better grade of primer before painting them on all my bands for the 2013 banding sessions.

Tim

KathyF · Sun May 18, 2014 8:23 am

Tim, I'm trying to understand why you paint the federal bands. Since the landlord has to provide the band number, doesn't that tell you from whose colony and when the bird was banded?

I don't think I'd have the patience to paint all those itty-bitty bands!

Tim Mangan-Kansas · Mon May 19, 2014 5:13 am

Kathy:

I paint the federal bands to identify which colony the banded martin originated from. Example, last year Malcolm Stephens had two banded martins show up at his colony. One had a brown federal band and the other a red federal band. From this we knew one was banded at Steve K's colony and the other from Robert J's colony. It is nothing more than a quick way to identify where the martin was banded. You still have to obtain the band number to positively ID the individual bird. I like doing this when I band at several colony's that are relatively close to each other where SY's might show up the following year.

As you band, you will discover that not all landlords are willing to spend the time to obtain band numbers for your records and to be reported to the BBL via "Bandit" as a recapture/resighting. At least with the painted federal bands it is narrowed down to the colony where the martin was banded.

It really doesn't take long to paint the bands. I just slip the bands over a vertical piece of stiff wire and spray paint all of them at the same time.

Tim