Since adult Tree Swallows are much more likely to return in future years than
nestlings, you may want to concentrate your banding effort on adults.











How can banders catch adults for banding?
The easiest way is by using a simple home-made trap that fits temporarily
inside the box.  

The trap is made from a thin, stiff plastic flap 3" x 3.5", with a notch cut out
lengthwise (below left).  The un-notched end of the flap is fastened inside
the box just above the entrance with masking tape that acts as a hinge.  The
free end is propped up with a stiff weed stem set at an angle into a front
corner of the box so it isn't easily seen from outside (below center).  Entering
birds dislodge the prop and the trap swings down over the entrance, blocking
it (below right).  

Once the trap is sprung the bander, who should have moved several hundred
feet away from the box after the trap was set, can return and extract the
swallow for banding and processing.








This method of box-trapping may be unfamiliar to some banders.  You may
need to show your bander how.  

What's the best time to trap and band adults?
There is a specific window when it's ok to trap and band adults: between 1
and 6 days after hatching.  Your bander must resist the temptation to trap
and band outside this window.

Be aware that while nests at a project may be fairly synchronized, some nests
will be ahead or behind the optimum time for banding.  If your bander can't
make more than one trip to your project, you must leave the out-of-synch
birds unbanded.

Doesn't being banded upset the swallows?
Adult Tree Swallows aren't thrilled at being trapped, handled and banded, but
their attachment to their young is so strong they almost never desert.







Warning!!!  Never trap and band adults before their eggs have hatched!  
Chances of nest desertion are much greater during laying and incubation.

Warning!!!  Never trap and band adults with nestlings older than 12 days.  
The disturbance could cause nestlings to leave the box prematurely and die.

Male Tree Swallows can be harder to trap than females, but most males
eventually enter to feed young and are trapped.  If the female of a pair is
caught first, it's best to keep her in a bird bag (out of the sun!) after banding
and processing so she won't alarm the male.  Females can be safely held this
way for up to one hour.  Males caught first can be released immediately after
banding and processing, since their alarm behavior normally won't prevent
nest females from entering to feed young.

Warning!!!  Traps must be removed after use!!!   Both adults and nestlings
can die if traps are accidentally left in a box!!

What does it mean to "process" a bird?
"Processing" is the taking of certain data by banders after they have affixed
the band on a bird.  The bander will record the date and location, and will
determine the bird's age and sex as closely as possible.  They will also measure
some combination of the bird's weight, wing chord (see below), tail length,
tarsus (part of the leg) length, and bill dimensions.  Your bander will have
sheets to record this data.  






What do banders do with the data they take?
Banders are required to collect reliable and useful data, and to submit it to
the Bird Banding Offices in Canada or the United States.  The data becomes
computerized and available for use by other banders and researchers.

How do you keep your own banding records?
You will certainly want to keep your own banding records.  You can use the
Adult Banding and Recapture Record offered here.  It has the fields for the
following information:
  • Box number.
  • B/R:  Is it receiving a band (B), or is it a recapture, i.e., a previously
    banded bird (R).
  • Band number.
  • Age, by plumage color (see Sexing and Aging ).
  • Sex, determined by brood patch (BP) for females, or cloacal
    protuberance (CP) for males (see Sexing and Aging).
  • Color (blue, or brown) (see Sexing and Aging).
  • Wing chord (a measure of wing length).
  • Weight (mass in grams).

Your bander should be happy to show you how measurements are taken, and
can also give you good looks at BP's and CP's.

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Learn About Birds at Tree Swallow Nest Box Projects
Banding Adults