John,
There is no
difference, it is just that different countries call it by different names. In
the northern hemisphere it is “ringing” while most of the southern hemisphere
call it “banding”. In Australia it is banding, and the size of the bird to which
the band (or other forms of identification for that matter) is attached makes no
difference to what it is called. Banding in Australia is controlled by
Australian Bird and Bat Banding Schemes, a division of the Federal Government’s
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts here in
Canberra.
Locally there are
effectively two groups of banders. One is centred on the ANU through the
Botany/Zoology department (BoZo) – although I may have this name incorrect – and
much of their work has been done in the Australian National Botanic Gardens on
Superb Fairy-wrens and White-browed Scrubwrens using students, often doing
PhD’s, as the “workers”. There are several other projects also being undertaken
by academics from the ANU.
The second group is
a dedicated group of chiefly amateurs who have banding sites near West Wyalong,
Grenfell, Braidwood and Wee Jasper. This latter group is primarily the one that
trains banders locally, including in many cases banders from the ANU. Normally
we do not do public displays but once every few years we invite the local bird
club, COG, to campout at a site near West Wyalong to see what goes on. I have
not discussed with COG’s outings officer the possibility of doing a trip this
year but would consider a trip on the October long weekend provided it does not
clash with anything already organised by COG. If you are a member of COG and
receive the Gang-gang newsletter you may have noticed in the (?) December issue
that I have advised COG members of a banding trip to Cape York in November. It
is up to people to get themselves up there but the banding team will happily
show people banding in operation.
I hope this answers
your query; if not please get back to me.
Cheers,
Mark,
Regional Organiser,
ACT,
Australian Bird and
Bat Banding Schemes
From: John
Layton [ Sent: Sunday, 9 January 2011 6:17
PM To: Canberra
Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Ring or
band?
We’ve been reading ‘Songbird
Journeys – Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds’ by Miyoko Chu and it’s
reinvigorated discussions about bird migration and tracking. Anyhow, the
question arose, and will not go away viz: what’s the difference between bird
ringing and bird banding? I proposed the expressions mean the same thing. But
this is not accepted in the realms of Bratdom – where it’s held that big birds
like pelicans are ringed whereas smaller birds are banded. Also, Chu (bless her)
mentions that there are some places in North America where John & Mary
Public can watch banding. Or is it ringing? – so help me – can we see any
demonstrations locally? Anyone?
John
Layton
Holt.