FAQs

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.

Certificates of appreciation are given to people who have found birds with leg bands or color markers and reported them to the Bird Banding Laboratory through their " Report a bird with a federal band or color marker" website. Certificates are automatically generated when you report a bird and can be downloaded immediately after your report is completed. If you want an additional copy of your...

Bird band information is an important tool that is used to monitor populations, set hunting regulations, restore endangered species, study effects of environmental contaminants, and address such issues as Avian Influenza, bird hazards at airports, and crop depredations. The North American Bird Banding Program is jointly administered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Canadian Wildlife...

Bird collisions with glass can occur for several reasons, reflection, transparency or for territory. Glass on our windows and doors can reflect surrounding vegetation or sky giving the illusion that it’s a landscape that birds can use. Transparency can also occur when a bird is able to see true habitat through a set of windows and perceives the space as a fly-through. For example, a transparency...