T. K. Tolford's

Bird Banding Research

Photo by T. K. Tolford

Brief history of Bird Banding

What to do if you find a band:

If you find a dead or injured wild bird with a band on it’s leg, or if you find a loose band, call toll-free to 1-800-327-BAND (2263) from anywhere in Canada, the United States and most parts of the Caribbean. You will need to give the band number, how, when and where the bird or band was found.

How many birds are banded?

Approximately 1 million birds each year are banded. Approximately 60,000 birds each year are recovered. By 1995, a total of 57million birds had been banded, and 3 million recovered.

Click the following to see photos:  Birds In Hand , Volunteers

For text information about Bird Banding, click the following: Why Band Birds ,Who Can Band Birds , Bird Bands, or Links to other birding and banding sites.

Tim's 2004 calendar of events and bird banding.

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I have been involved with bird banding research for nearly 16 years. Having worked with many bird banders, I developed a strong desire to start my own bird banding project. Eight years after holding my first "bird-in-hand", I began my first bird banding research project.

Eight years after, I still enjoy the research as if it were my first day. More importantly, I enjoy feeling as though I am contributing to the preservation of our avian friends.

This research is an invaluable tool for monitoring not only the lives of birds, but the environment which effects them, ultimately effecting humans.

My affiliation with Ohio Bird Banding Association (OBBA) for nearly 16 years has been the driving force in my desire to remain involved with field ornithology. It has been very easy to adopt their mission statement to my own research.

It is simply stated as follows:

"We are all responsible for the stewardship of Ohio birds and their habitats. To make the correct environmental choices, we must cooperate to understand their complex behavior".

For more information about bird banding in and around Ohio, visit OBBA's website at: http://www.ohiobba.org, or these other Links.

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For information on volunteering at Tim's banding stations in Ohio, e-mail tctolford@fuse.net