BANDS | Waterfowl Banded Birds
by Chris McLeland
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They are the thing that some waterfowl hunters dream about. They are sometimes considered figments of the imagination, myths, just like big foot and the Loch Ness monster. I can assure they are very real, and they are also one of the best ways of providing useful data to waterfowl biologists across the continent; of course I am referring to bands!
Every year, staff from multiple State and Federal agencies along with countless volunteers hit the field to begin capturing and banding waterfowl, and while it may sounds like all fun and games, there is a lot more to it than just slapping on a band.
While waterfowl banding can take place at any time of year, the majority of the banding efforts take place during the late spring or early summer after broods have emerged and are large enough to support a leg band. Trapping methods can vary depending upon the target species or the site conditions. Once of the most popular methods, without question is cannon netting. This method involves using a bait site to attract the target species, and firing a large mesh net over the top of the flock once in range. While very affective and fun this method does pose some limitations. Another popular method is to deploy a swim in type trap. This method involves baiting a trap line, and having the waterfowl swim into the trap.
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