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I couldn't tell with my limited knowledge of eagles the species in the older shot that was more face on. It's interesting they are both ringed on both legs. Is there a special reason for this?
I am sorry but I am not familiar with the banding system. Now that You brought it up I checked some of my ospry shots and found also there birds with rings on both legs. Perhaps it is some procedure practiced in my country (Finland).
 
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Birds kept in captivity do need banding. They are not going anywhere. Banding is used by ornithologists to register and keep the track of wild birds.
Sorry, but I know from a Eurasian black vulture (aegypius monachus) held in a Franconian falconry doing air shows and escaped.
It was found and IDed by its bandings in Denmark, more than 800 km away.
And from time to time birds even escape from aviaries as well.
At least in Germany, these are getting bandings, too.
 
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... It's interesting they are both ringed on both legs. Is there a special reason for this?
I am sorry but I am not familiar with the banding system. Now that You brought it up I checked some of my ospry shots and found also there birds with rings on both legs. Perhaps it is some procedure practiced in my country (Finland).
Hi guys!
Maybe I can help here a little bit.

I asked a friend of mine here in Germany, who is doing bandings on both eagles and hawks, as well as songbirds.
He told me that banding of one or both talons depends on the species and its size. Since 2005 here in Germany, several birds of prey get bandings on both talons. One with the "standard" number, one with a number that can be read from distance with a spyglass or spotting scope.
Of course, the bird must be big enough for a big enough banding ring. Otherwise, you cannot read it. Songbirds are too small for that.
And wading birds, like herons and storks, get even bigger plastic plates above their joints.

Additional information could be found e.g. here
 
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Hi guys!
Maybe I can help here a little bit.

I asked a friend of mine here in Germany, who is doing bandings on both eagles and hawks, as well as songbirds.
He told me that banding of one or both talons depends on the species and its size. Since 2005 here in Germany, several birds of prey get bandings on both talons. One with the "standard" number, one with a number that can be read from distance with a spyglass or spotting scope.
Of course, the bird must be big enough for a big enough banding ring. Otherwise, you cannot read it. Songbirds are too small for that.
And wading birds, like herons and storks, get even bigger plastic plates above their joints.

Additional information could be found e.g. here
I support the ringing for science and conservation but not for photography!
 
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Hi guys!
Maybe I can help here a little bit.

I asked a friend of mine here in Germany, who is doing bandings on both eagles and hawks, as well as songbirds.
He told me that banding of one or both talons depends on the species and its size. Since 2005 here in Germany, several birds of prey get bandings on both talons. One with the "standard" number, one with a number that can be read from distance with a spyglass or spotting scope.
Of course, the bird must be big enough for a big enough banding ring. Otherwise, you cannot read it. Songbirds are too small for that.
And wading birds, like herons and storks, get even bigger plastic plates above their joints.

Additional information could be found e.g. here
Thanks for the information. Very interesting practice. Seems we could (as humans) find a way to do more with less.
 
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I support the ringing for science and conservation but not for photography!
I have seen rather big number of banded birds on Oahu - some sea birds and migratory birds but also some native birds. Some of the Bristle-thighed curlews for example are equipped not only with bands, they have also small antennas (probably a project to track their migration routes). By that way actually it was proven that they fly nonstop from Alaska to Hawaii!!!
 
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WOW. Very impressive. That's over 3,000 miles.
Indeed! Citation from Wikipedia: "The first leg of the migration includes a nonstop 4,000 km flight from Alaska to Laysan. They can make non-stop flights in excess of 6,000 km."
Laysan Island is one of the tiny Northwestern Islets of Hawaii (~800 miles from Oahu).
And on Alaska they could be found at just two relatively tiny spots...
I think I already posted a photos from that series but here once again. This is from October and they are molting (as you can see). In the spring before going back to Alaska they look better...

DSC_9495_DxO_DxO.jpg
 
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I have seen rather big number of banded birds on Oahu - some sea birds and migratory birds but also some native birds. Some of the Bristle-thighed curlews for example are equipped not only with bands, they have also small antennas (probably a project to track their migration routes). By that way actually it was proven that they fly nonstop from Alaska to Hawaii!!!
Like this Condor I got in the Andes.

3Q7A8581-DxO_condor-lsssSH_SMLR.jpg
 
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