USGS Moves to Online-Only Band Reports

This season, U.S. waterfowlers fortunate enough to bag a banded duck or goose must go online to report their birds. Starting July 2, the USGS Patuxent Bird Banding Laboratory will no longer offer a toll-free call center to receive federal bird band reports.

Instead, American hunters who attempt to phone in a band using (800) 327-BAND will be directed to the mobile-friendly website, reportband.gov. Submitting band data online takes only five minutes, at which time the date and location of the bird’s banding is revealed, and the sender is emailed a Certificate of Appreciation.

Callers from Canada will be routed to the Canadian Wildlife Service Bird Banding Office to report the band over voicemail or directly to office staff.

“Capturing and banding birds requires an incredible amount of effort, and documenting recovery or re-sighting of banded birds is essential to profit from that effort,” said the Bird Banding Laboratory in a press release. “Band recovery data are the basis for improving the conservation and knowledge of bird populations in North America. Please help the BBL, its many partners, and the birds of North America by continuing to report your band recoveries.”