Male ASY w/ band

Guest · Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:12 pm

I was checking my PMs this afternoon, as I have a female that I thought was an SY. To my amazement, I say something on one of ASY males legs...... A band!!! Appears to be yellow. Sorry I don't have hawk eyes, but other than breaking out my rifle and checking how can I get the numbers... No spotting scope either.
Also, when I get them, who/how can I find out where he was born?

Chuck c

apundt-TX · Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:38 pm

Maybe John Barrow can remember here but I think someone bands Oklahoma martins with a yellow band.

A.P.

Louise Chambers · Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:46 pm

Jim Ray bands with yellow in OK and red in TX, I think. I expect Jim will see this but I will email him too. Maybe we can come up with a strategy to get the band number read. It may not have a number, I recall Jim saying he has used colored bands without alpha numerals on them too.

good eye work, chuck!

Louise

Dale Hrncirik · Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:57 pm

Louise,

Is it okay to trap the martin in it's house in order to check the number or will the PM abandon? This seems the quickest and easiest way to get the band info if it doesn't cause other problems.

Dale

Louise Chambers · Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:07 pm

Jamie Hill felt that trapping a martin to read a band before it had eggs could lead to site abandonment. That's could, not 100% for sure, but could. I will check with Patrick tomorrow - I seem to remember a few instances where a banded bird was captured accidentally before it had eggs but did not abandon. Ultimately, Jim and Chuck will need to decide if it's a worthwhile risk to trap the bird.

Louise

Dale Hrncirik · Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:11 pm

Louise,

I feel there is certainly no rush to trap and best to wait until that martin has a nest of eggs/young before doing so. I just didn't know if they will still abandon at that stage?

Dale

Guest · Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:52 pm

Hi all,
I have a crappy pr of binocs..... kinda have to look thru one eye. I'll see if I can get a spotting scope before anything else. The male has been here atleast two days and has a female, so I don't think he's leaving until late July

. I don't think my neighbors would understand me standing in the backyard with a .243 looking at birds.... could be done, but I think Arlingtons' finest would arrive shortly afterwards!!

How rare or how many banded PMs are reported each year. I only remember a couple last year.
Do people in Brazil ever report finding the bands down there?
Just wondering

Chuck

Jim Ray · Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:29 pm

Hey guys. By all means, try to verify that the bird has the standard silver band on one leg, and a yellow/gold band on the other. Any such band of mine will have a "OK" state code, along with a letter, number, number, number code. We had one of Mr. Dellingers birds at one of my banding sites in Woodward, so I definetly think its possible to have a Woodward band over that way. It would be great if someone can try reading the color band with a spotting scope. As far as trapping, I'd suggest you wait until young are in the nest (assuming that the bird is going to stay there as a breeder), but only following Louise Chambers advise on how to do that.

So far, my furthest distance for a band return was for an Amarillo bird that showed up in Burkburnett, Texas, of the Wichita Falls area.

Keep me posted on this bird at [email protected].