How do I obtain a federal bird banding permit?
A Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit is required whenever someone wants to place a bird band or any type of marker on a wild bird that is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act or on a federally-protected bird that will be released into the wild. To obtain a permit, visit the General Permit Information webpage of the Bird Banding Laboratory.
Related Content
How can I get bird banding and encounter data from the Bird Banding Laboratory?
What functions are available in the Bander Portal for bird banders?
I have a federal permit to band birds. How do I order bands?
How do I submit bird banding and/or bird recapture data?
How do I renew or modify my existing federal bird banding permit?
What are the ethics and responsibilities of Bird Banders?
Does banding hurt birds?
How do I get a certificate of appreciation after reporting a banded bird?
Who can band birds?
I found (or killed) a bird with a band or color marker around its leg. What do I do?
The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory: an integrated scientific program supporting research and conservation of North American birds
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) was established in 1920 after ratification of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the United Kingdom in 1918. During World War II, the BBL was moved from Washington, D.C., to what is now the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC). The BBL issues permits and bands to permittees...
Smith, Gregory J.
USGS Celebrates 100 Years of Bird Banding Lab
Birds bring joy merely by their presence, from their bold colors and majestic songs to their grace as they glide through the sky. Birds contribute more than beauty to the environment and society. Many plants depend on hummingbirds and other species to pollinate them. Hawks and owls prey on rodents and other pests. Fruit- and grain-eating birds help spread plants’ seeds.
Banding waterfowl
The captured waterfowl are gently banded with a unique number that can be read if and when it is captured again.
CAGO with Leg Band and Neck Collar
Canada Goose with Leg Band and Neck Collar
Iiwi banded at Hakalau 1
Adult Iiwi being banded at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii
Biologists banding long-billed curlew in Boardman, OR
USGS biologist places identification bands on the leg of a long-billed curlew as part of a study to estimate long-billed curlew abundance and density using unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct surveys at the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility (NWSTF) in Boardman, OR.
PubTalk 10/2011 — Migratory Connectivity in a Changing Climate
by Susan Haig, Wildlife Ecologist
- Scientists are studying global migratory animal movements throughout their annual cycles to improve conservation efforts
- Changing climate conditions have accentuated this need, as species movements and their ranges are fluctuating every year
- Technology being used to study the
PubTalk 3/2011 — Unraveling the Mystery of Avian Navigation
New research indicates that birds are listening to the landscape to find their way
By Jon Hagstrum, Research Geophysicist
- For nearly 40 years, biologists have been unable to agree on how birds find their way over great distances during homing or migrational flights
- Do birds use their olfactory senses, the Earth's
Canada Goose Banding
As part of an annual statewide waterfowl banding effort, Iowa State Coop student Brad Heller holds a Canada Goose still while Iowa DNR wildlife biologist attaches a leg band to the bird, outside of Clear Lake. The project is aimed at providing information on population parameters, such as survival and harvest rates.
Banded Brown Pelican legs
Aluminum band and one plastic colored leg bands in a Brown Pelican