For this reason, it is important to understand as much about banding as possible. This article will discuss the different types of bands, the reasons for their use, the issue of band removal and the methods of tracing a band. It is intended to present information so that bird owners can make their own informed decisions. This usually means that they are captive bred. In the US we associate this with domestically bred birds, but captive bred birds from other countries also have closed bands.
Closed bands are circular and seamless.
They are made of stainless steel, aluminum or plastic and come in a variety of colors and sizes . The band is placed on a baby bird, about 2-3 weeks of age, by sliding the band over the foot to the leg portion. As the bird grows, the feet become too large for the band to fall off. Removal can only be accomplished by cutting the band off. This permanency makes closed bands a more reliable method of identifying a bird than open bands which can be opened and substituted.