Banded Birds

K

Keith Bittner

Active member
This week I recieved a text message from DU about a pintail shot in California and was banded 14 years ago in Japan. Seems a long time for a duck in the wild to exist and to travel so far is truly amazing to me. Personally I have one banded bird to my credit that was shot almost thirty years ago on the north shore of Long Island and came from Quebec along the St. Lawrence. My son got one last year along the Peconic River on eastern Long Island that came from Central Connecticut. Has anyone gotten one from any great distance or of a long length of age? I remember a fellow worker getting a Brandt that was about 13 years old several years ago.
 
Keith


I shot a drake wood duck in South Jersey that had been banded 9 years earlier in Carpenter Georgia.
 
5 seasons ago, on the very last day of the Long Island season, I shot a male banded black duck in the Captree area that was banded in Worcester County, MD.
 
Several years ago I shot a banded eider in Maine, that if I remember correctly, was over 17 years old. Regarding bands, I am on somewhat of a roll. Last week I shot a cackling Canada with a $100 reward band. When I phoned it in the woman I spoke with didn't know anything about reward bands. A friend told me that they are no longer honored. Anyone know anything about this? Then two days ago I shot a banded drake greenwing.
Here in western Oregon, the ducks appeared on December 2nd. I have had several very good limit days at a place 10 miles south of us. But almost the entire Willamette Valley is totally flooded. In fact, we have now set a record for the most rain in December, and records go back into the late 1880s. Just a few weeks ago I was afraid that our 20 acres below the house would not flood this year. It certainly has! But the water is so deep we can't reach the blinds. And the two tube blinds are currently under water. Much more rain is due during the next few weeks. I now wonder if we will be able to hunt our bottom at all this year. Also, the ducks now have a zillion places to be. Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Best, Worth Mathewson
 
My first year hunting in Mobile I shot a banded lesser scaup that was at least 10 years old. Band was so worn they had to etch it and look at under a magnification to read the numbers that were left. They used the numbers they could read along with the species and sex to figure out the whole number.
 
How did DU text you about a Japanese banded bird? USGS collects the band information, did you report thru DU? But more to your question, you'd be amazed at how long birds can live. The oldest known banded bird is a 64 year old Laysan albatross that in currently incubating an egg it laid on Midway Island. The biologist who banded it in 1956 is now 96. He believes that there are likely albatross still alive that were banded prior to WWII. Here are some others. https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/longevity/longevity_main.cfm

Worth, reward bands still paid but it depends on the study. PM the specifics and I'll check into it for you.
 
Hi Worth,

I shot a banded black duck back in 2003 with a reward band to accompany the typical AVISE band. It had a 2006 expiration etched into the band. Called in both bands to same number and got a check in mail a few weeks latter for $100.
 
Brad, Thanks for the offer of help. The main band on the cackler was: 1757-40085. The reward band was: 928972. I still have the Wes Batterson brant item for you. Do you travel to Salem to meet with Brandon? If so, I could leave it in his office for you. Please let me know. I have about sold out of books, so will not have a table anymore at the Waterfowl Festival. Best, Worth Mathewson
 
Banded atlantic Brant, 17 trips up and down the flyway, according to information received. Oldest one in my small collection.
 
My oldest is a goose I shot two years ago late season here on the coast of NJ, banded 10 years prior in Quebec.
 
4 0r 5 years ago I shot a double banded brant but it only had red and blue plastic bands. with a little investigation and some help from some one on a different forum it ended up by being a very lost brant. It was 2 years old and the bands were spotted a year prior as far south as you can get in Ireland. They cant hunt them there but the bands were recorded by a bird watcher there.
 
Worth, I spend most of my time in the other Washington. I'll be back in January, so I'll be in touch.

Brad
 
Brad this was the text message I got from DU. Not sure how I got on there list but I periodically get messages from. http://www.ducks.org/hunting/banding/an-amazing-journey?poe=SMS
 
Banded Canada shot in 2010 banded in 1997
Gadwall banded in 2005 shot in 2012 from Quebec.
Buddy of mine got a banded mallard last year from Minnesota shot in NJ and another mallard from Saskatchewan shot in NJ.
Another Buddy of mine shot a gwt 2 days ago banded in Idaho shot in Delaware. There's some crazy stuff out there birds have wings.
 
I began this wonderful sport of duck hunting in 1954 at the age of 13. In the 2002/2003 season, when I was 61 years old I shot my first banded duck which was a mallard. Boy, was that ever exciting but not nearly as exhilarating as the following year when I retired. During the 2003/2004 season I shot 9 banded ducks! They came from Alberta, Canada, North Dakota, 3 areas in Colorado and New Mexico. It was euphoric! The oldest banded duck I shot was 10 and another was 9 years old.
Al
 
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I have been hunting waterfowl for about 45 years .
In all that time I have gotten 4 bands from ducks that I shot .
Hen Pintail from Canada
Drake Gadwall from California
Drake Canvasback from Nevada
Drake Mallard from Nevada
My son and I did find a double banded Snow Goose in California and it was banded on
Wrangle Island and had one band from Russia and one from the U.S.
None of the birds were any older than 5 or 6 years
 
I have one brant that was banded 7 years from Nanavut
Longest banded goose I have was 6 years from NJ
Shortest banded goose just over 5 months from NJ
I shot a black duck that the band had to be sent in and etched. I can't find the email but I think it was 11 years and from Quebec.
 
I have a band from a large Canada Goose I shot in 1983. It was never reported. Do you think I could set a record with it if I report it now? :)

Tim
 
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