leg bands

[jcoy44460]

hello all...i am thinking of buying a umbrella 2 at my local pet store..she believed he was 5 years old because she was told this by previous owner..but thursday night i was up there playing with him or her and noticed he she has a open round band on like my 26 year old amazon....any ideas on age? thanks jeff

 

[BillsBirds]

Leg bands through the years have been pretty much the same. I'm 60 years old, so, I've seen a lot of legbands. If you could use the band to "age" a bird, you'd have to track down the breeder through the numbers on the band. If you found him, and if he kept records, (most don't), he could trace the number back. It would be difficult and involved, and may not tell you anything. I've used bands to try to track down owners &/or breeders with very limited success.

 

[HalfInsane]

An open band means the bird was banded as an adult. Wild caught birds have open bands for this reason (not to say this 'too is per say, but as an example). It doesn't have anything to do with age.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Some people buy birds who aren't close banded and have open bands put on them for identification. What do the numbers/letters say?

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

Open quarantine bands (the ones found on wild caught birds) have a special set of numbers and letters that actually identify the quarantine facility (providing it was a government facility and not a private facility). If you message the letters and numbers to me or post them here, I can check and see which facility and roughly WHEN the bird was imported (if that is the case). Hope this helps.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

I'll add that some breeders don't pull babies until it's too late to slip on a closed band, and there are some breeders that use open bands. Only the numbers can help determine whether it's a wild caught. Personally we no longer band any of our birds, and I would think that a reasonably minded breeder would know better than to use an open band on a U2, but I've also seen dumber things done. IF you get the bird, PLEASE get the band removed.... an open band (or a closed band) are just a recipe for disaster, especially an open on an umbrella.

 

[aliray]

thank you for that info. my Quaker sweetie pie is not banded and I realised if he ever gets out I wont be able to identify him. Do they microchip birds of that size? Alison and sweetie pie

 

[Featheredsamurai]

thank you for that info. my Quaker sweetie pie is not banded and I realised if he ever gets out I wont be able to identify him. Do they microchip birds of that size? Alison and sweetie pie

I believe they do

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

I got your message, it will take a day or two.... I'll let you know as soon as I do. It's tough though if the quarantine facility is closed getting the rough year can be almost impossible. We'll see.

 

[Mare Miller]

My friend who bought Amigo, then after five years gave to me, says that he came with no band. She bought him from a pet shop in San Diego area. Do you know if that means anything?

 

[TortoiseLady17]

Our too has no band, I figured it was removed when this foot was amputated, or he never had one. Our Quaker doesn't have one. Our Amazin does but her original owner got her in Panama as a baby and imported her in through Miami. From what I have read on here and other sites it seems like the bands don't really matter to much, at least not as far as pets got. I know in zoos the bands all have meanings. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

Avian vets put pressure on breeders not to band and owners to have bands removed. So no band is becoming more common. I use to band and now we don't, and we even have them removed from birds we get. We do keep bands for things like the Denver, CO bird show where for legal reasons we have to have a band (it says nothing about it having to be on the bird) but it goes with the bird upon sale. We have to have health certificates for all the birds, and are also required to inform people of zoonotic diseases that birds are capable of transmitting and how to recognize them. (all good policies for a bird show)

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

Our too has no band, I figured it was removed when this foot was amputated, or he never had one. Our Quaker doesn't have one. Our Amazin does but her original owner got her in Panama as a baby and imported her in through Miami. From what I have read on here and other sites it seems like the bands don't really matter to much, at least not as far as pets got. I know in zoos the bands all have meanings. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Odds are the band is the reason the foot was amputated (pretty common sadly)

 

[KatherineI]

Thank you JCoy for the question and thank you ShreddedOak for your explanations!

I didn't realize that not having a band was the new thing - in my experience, unbanded meant wild caught. So when I saw that my Goffin's didn't have a band, I freaked out a tiny bit. But I was assured she was captive bred and all the paperwork is in order. My Loki has a band, and it wont be removed because he's a GCC and my Avian Vet says that they don't chip that tiny (67 grams, less than a pound), but my Goffin's will definitely be chipped!

 

[jcoy44460]

ty for all your great info....i guess i need to make a decision on him soon before someone else does....i did find out he was taken from a hoarders home so i am guessing he will have some issues to deal with...i know he watches your hands closely but doesnt try and bite ..he will offer the top of his head for a kiss and seem like a happy little guy!

 

[dreamspirit12302]

I have a Mealy Amazon that has a open leg band.. would love to find out more info if anyone could help me?
Thanks