BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF AIIGRATORY FLIGHT 



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Photograpli from U. S. Biological Survey 



TnU BIRD bander's tool KIT 



Equipment for banding birds includes one of two forms of pliers, a small awl to thrust into 

 and open a band when needed, and a set of serially numbered bands to fit the legs of birds of 

 different sizes. A strong wire, bent into the form of a long, slender safety pin, is very useful 

 for stringing the bands in their numbered sequence, so the next in the series is always available. 

 These bands bear on the outside the words "Notify Biol. Surv.," below which is the number. 

 On the inside of the band are the abbreviations "Wash., D. C." 



also two (see illustration, page ii8). An 

 instance is recorded in which four Chim- 

 ney Swifts being banded were laid out 

 side b}' side on their backs on a board until 

 a gust of wind disturbed them and they 

 were gone. 



Wild Ducks remain quiescent in the 

 same way. On one occasion a Duck was 

 laid on its back, with its head hanging 

 down the side of a box, while another was 

 being banded. Afterward it was picked up 

 and also banded. 



In holding birds in my hand to induce 

 this pose, I found that at first there was a 

 tendency to struggle, especially at the time 

 the bird was turned on its back. Its eyes 

 opened and closed rapidly, then more 

 slowly untilthey remained almost shut as 

 the bird yielded. Suddenly they opened 

 wide and immediately it darted away. 

 Whether this is the regular course in such 

 cases remains to be proved by further ob- 

 servations. 



It has been suggested that the reason 

 for this pose is that the birds' sense of bal- 

 ance is upset in turning them over. This 

 does not appear to be a satisfactory ex- 

 planation. Not infrequently a bird, after 

 being held firmly in a sitting position in 

 the hand, remains immovable with its eyes 

 partly closed for some time after the hand 

 is opened and it rests on the flat palm. 



HOW I,ONG DO birds LIVE ? 



Bird banding is yielding some vital sta- 

 tistics as to the life terms of the various 

 .species. The accumulation of this infor- 

 mation will unquestionably clarify a num- 

 ber of points of great interest, one of 

 which concerns the enormous mortality 

 among birds. The vast proportion of the 

 local birds banded are never retaken. The 

 reappearance of only a small percentage of 

 such birds indicates that probably a large 

 number of those missing fell victims to the 

 innumerable dangers that beset them. 



