Besides the leg bands, do you mark your birds in any other way?
I’m having trouble telling some of mine apart, especially the blue bars. Was thinking about colored leg bands or marking feathers.
What do you use?
Colored plastic bands are the easiest solution. Different colors for different years, sexes, or families.
You can get split plastic bands that go on without removing the race band. Cheap and easy to swap.
Some people use nail polish on flight feathers but that only lasts until they moult.
I use a system:
- Race band on right leg (required by club)
- Color band on left leg indicates year
- 2023 = blue, 2024 = red, 2025 = green
Makes it easy to know bird’s age at a glance.
For distinguishing similar looking birds within a year, I note specific markings. Most birds have subtle differences if you look closely.
Take photos of each bird with their band number when you acquire them. Face, wing pattern, any unique marks.
I have an album on my phone organized by band number. Helps a lot.