North American Bird Banding Program Dataset 1960-2023 retrieved 2023-07-12

The North American Bird Banding Program is administered through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL), Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (EESC) and the Bird Banding Office (BBO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The respective banding offices have similar functions and policies and use the same bands, reporting forms and data formats. This long-term dataset (1960-2023) consists of over 83 million bird banding, encounter and recapture records of over 1,000 species covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Data is contributed by US and Canadian bird banding permit holders: federal, state, tribal, local government, non-government agencies, business, university and avocational biologists. Banders capture wild birds and mark them with a metal leg band with a unique 9-digit number. Extra markers may be added. Attributes such as age, sex, condition of bird may be included. Prior to data release, all locations for sensitive species and gamebirds are generalized to larger areas; 10-minute and 1-degree block coordinate precisions respectively. Sensitive species include diurnal raptors, US Threatened, Endangered, and Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) species. Gamebirds include waterfowl, cranes, rails, woodcock, doves, crows and ravens. Data are curated at BBL daily, therefore each yearly version may differ from previous releases. Incoming data must pass validation rules to meet quality standards; however, data accuracy is ultimately determined by contributors.