Considerations for Banding and Marking Birds To minimize the
effects of banding on birds and the costs of processing banding
data, it is necessary to restrict the use of bands and markers
to well-designed projects that will enable people to gain a
better understanding of birds. Prior to undertaking the field
study, banders should be sure that the use of bands in a study
will help them to answer the questions they are interested in.
They should select the most appropriate methods for marking the
birds and collecting and analyzing the data. They should
estimate the sample size required to do the statistical
analyses. There are a number of methods available for the
analysis of recapture data from carefully designed studies that
allow for estimates of population size, survival and immigration
rates. The bander should mark the minimum number of birds
necessary to provide an adequate sample size. This is for three
reasons: - Banders should minimize the impact of banding and
marking on birds. - The reporting of band