The experiment was a success and already one year later the first results were published. The method attracted much attention abroad and in the following years many countries started to ring birds and established ringing centres. The primary purpose of bird ringing was to map bird migration, and much information about migration routes, winter quarters etc. has been obtained during the first 100 years. Today, ringing is still based on the original principles but of course techniques have been refined and improved. Experience has shown that many other aspects of bird life can be elucidated by means of ringing and marking.
Birds play a special role in many fields of biology.
One of the main reasons is that bird rings allow a universal system of following individuals under natural conditions and this has made birds stand out in studies of ecology and behaviour as well as in conservation and management where birds are disproportionately often used as indicators. The advent of 100 years birds ringing is a good moment to review what we have learned with the help of ringing and marking techniques and to look into the future. The conference is to attract people working in basic biology with birds, in statistical analysis as well as involved in management and conservation. Previously, this 100th anniversary was planned to be celebrated in Denmark, where Mortenson started ringing, but this had to be cancelled. The conference was now held on the German island Helgoland where regular ringing started by Hugo Weigold, the first director of the Vogelwarte Helgoland, in 1909.