What's different about banding nestlings?
It's much simpler.  All the bander does is affix the band and record the bird's
species, age, and band number, plus the date and location.  However, there
are some very important timing and handling rules.

For your own records you can use our Nestling Banding Record.
You record each nestling's:
  • Box number.
  • Date of banding.
  • Age in days after hatching.
  • Band number.

It's impossible to determine a nestling's sex by plumage or other external
appearance.







When are nestlings banded?
There is a very short window of time for banding nestlings, either day 11 or
day 12 after hatching.  (This is one more reason for keeping a Control Sheet
that tracks nestling age at each box).  Your bander must resist the
temptation to band nestlings outside the window.

Warning!!!  Before day 11 nestling legs are usually too swelled with fatty
tissue.  Applying a band could squeeze and damage the leg.  

Warning!!!  Nestlings older than day 12 should not be handled for any
reason, including banding!!!  Doing so could cause them to leave their nest
too soon, and die.

Take a close look at the 12 day nestling's wing, below.  Notice how the flight
feathers have partly erupted from their sheaths, so they look like little
paintbrushes.  If you find nestlings in a box with flight feathers more
erupted than those in this example, leave them alone!  Handling them for
any reason, even banding, risks premature fledging and the death of the birds.













Warning!!!  Adult Tree Swallows must never be allowed to see their nest
emptied of young or they may desert!!!  Either band nestlings next to the
box, which prevents adults from entering, or if you must move nestlings away
from the box, take half the brood at a time, so the nest is never empty.  

Will your young swallows return to your project as adults to nest?
  • Don't expect many nestlings to return.  
  • While 30-60% of adult nesters will be back, banding studies show
    nestling returns average less than 10%.  

Why is there such a difference in return rates of adults and nestlings?
  • Mortality of young, inexperienced swallows is high during their first
    autumn and winter of life.  
  • One study of Tree Swallow demographics estimated only 20% of young
    swallows survived to their first nesting season.
  • Young Tree Swallows in their first nesting season also tend to migrate
    north later than older adults.  If they do come back to where they were
    raised they are apt to find nest sites already claimed and defended by
    older swallows.
  • The options for younger birds are to try to take a nest site away from
    more experienced swallows; float in the area and wait for a vacancy
    that may never occur; or prospect for nest sites elsewhere.  

The combination of high first-year death rates and shortage of nest sites
means you won't find many of your nestlings back at your projects as adults.  
However, have them banded anyway, if you can.  They may be reported
nesting elsewhere, and this can help scientists studying Tree Swallow
dispersal.

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Learn About Birds at Tree Swallow Nest Box Projects
Banding Nestlings