closed ring

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dcads29775
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:46 am

closed ring

Post by dcads29775 »

Hi all, when I got my IRN, Polly, I was told that Polly was nearly 2. But something is confusing me, she is closed rung, the ring is blue, and I have seen DJ08 stamped on it I think there is more on there but cant quiet get to see it yet. Now if I understand the DJ is the breeders initials and the 08 is the year, or am i wrong. If its 08 then that make her 6 years old hmmm or is the 08 the month.
Also isnt there a register or something you can check these rings on so you know where they were from, who the breeder was and when the bird was born. If not who thinks it would be a good idea :D
MissK
Posts: 3011
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: closed ring

Post by MissK »

Hi. In essence, that ring is a tool for the breeder to identify their own bird for their own records, and to prove captive breeding, and possibly for identification during sale. It works out that it is also convenient for us to identify our birds, in case they all look the same, if we send them for boarding, or ownership is in dispute (as long as it's not removed), but it isn't really there for our benefit.

The ring, at least here, may contain any information the breeder sees fit. If it happens to say anything of significance to us, the end consumer, then we are just lucky. One of my birds has a ring that indicates the breeder's aviary, the state, and a number for their information, but no year. My other bird's ring does have the year, but everything else is just numerical gibberish to me.

*For other readers, who might not know, the reference to the ring being closed indicates the bird had that band placed on on their leg when they were very young, still in the nest, just a few days old. To get it on, the back toes have to be tucked up against the leg, and the ring slid up over the front of the front toes up to past the claws of the back toes, a little like a bangle bracelet, except human thumbs don't work that way. The foot does not remain this malleable for long. If the short window of opportunity is missed, then the bird must either go without a leg ring or else must wear an open ring. The open ring is shaped more like a letter C and installed like a cuff bracelet, then squeezed to fit. It may be put on at any time during a bird's life. Because of this bird foot phenomenon, a closed ring is usually proof of captive breeding, though I imagine a lucky nest raider could possibly band a wild bird this way. I don't imagine that happens much.

As far as a registry of leg band information is concerned, I think it would be very welcome by bird owners, especially those who did not buy straight from the breeder. I don't think any kind of regulation of leg band information is going to happen (here) any time soon. Many breeders are small scale and there are a whole lot of them. I don't know if they are required to be registered with the government, but it is clear to see that the birds will breed regardless of the owner's legal status. It has been suggested to me that if you can possibly identify the seller of the leg band itself then they might be able to lead you to the person who bought the leg band and (theoretically placed it on the bird). I would not expect this to work, especially in today's climate of account privacy. I believe there is a voluntary registry of leg bands for some other species, but it is currently quite limited in scope and since it was not helpful for me, I did not retain the website information. Perhaps in the future, larger birds will be microchipped by their breeders and, due to the more modern nature of the microchip, their information might be registered there.
-MissK
dcads29775
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:46 am

Re: closed ring

Post by dcads29775 »

Thanks for the info misk, So i still dont know her age lol. All I know is shes young.
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: closed ring

Post by InTheAir »

Sapphires leg band would be even more of a mystery, if we didn't know where she came from and her age: RR45. :lol: She certainly wasn't born in 1945!

It would be nice if there was a national standard on rings, but it isn't very practical for hobbyists.
dcads29775
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:46 am

Re: closed ring

Post by dcads29775 »

lol that be an old bird :lol:
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