Your bird has a ring (leg band) on its leg with letters and numbers on it. What is it for?

Purpose and History of the Leg Band

The ring is called a leg band and it is intended as a means to identify your bird’s place of origin as well as some other information.

The practice of banding began in North America a couple of hundred years ago by field researchers in an effort to keep track of the populations of wild migratory birds and local flocks.

In later years, as parrots became popular pets in North America, their importation (as well as all other bird species) began being carefully tracked by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Imported birds often bring with them the diseases that are prevalent in their native habitats and following an outbreak of psittacosis in the early 1900s, the US clamped down on bird importation and finally set a ban on it in 1992.

Types of Leg Bands

There are two kinds of leg bands that are relative to us as parrot owners:

• The closed leg bands that we see on parrots indicate that it has been captive bred. This band is an unbroken ring that is slid onto the small leg of hatchling and becomes a permanent fixture once the bird has reached maturity.
• The open band, a rounded split ring that is placed on the leg of an adult bird, indicates that it was at one point detained in an importation station. A bird with an open band was either brought into the country as a wild caught bird prior to the importation ban, or was transported as a pet from another country and stayed in the importation station during a period of quarantine.

Is the Information Included on Leg Bands Consistent? 

Because there are so many leg bands on so many birds for so many different reasons, it makes sense that each should bear markings that make them distinguishable from all others.

Eventually, early in the leg band’s history, a much needed system began to develop using numbers and letters that revealed information about the wearer’s origins.

Unfortunately the system is not yet a universal one within the breeding community. 

Included Information on Closed Bands 

The closed bands we see on most companion birds do not always carry the same information. The breeder’s ID code, the year of hatching and an ID# assigned to the bird may or may not all appear on a band.

Unless the bands were supplied to the breeder through a parrot society, such as the AFA (American Federation of Aviculture), there are no standards for the information that is contained on them.

There are many breeders out there doing things in their own ways because there isn’t a system to follow that has been set in stone.

Usually, there are letters that identify the breeder’s state that can give you a starting point for investigation. But this is not always the case. 

Included Information on Open Bands

The open band is by far the easier to track. Importation stations are either USDA owned (most are closed now) or privately owned (but supervised by the USDA), meaning that there are only two band code systems to consider and each relates to a limited number of importation stations throughout the country (less than 100 compared to the thousands of breeders using closed bands.)

A USDA band will always carry the letter USDA followed by 2 or 3 letters that identify the state, and city if more than one station exists in that state. It will be followed by 3 or 4 identifying numbers, for example: USDAM 1234. This traces back to a station in Miami.

A quarantine band from a privately owned station will always have three letters followed by three numbers, such as CRO 123. The first letter indicates the state is California, the second letter IDs the station and the third letter and the following three numbers identify the bird.

Will Having a Leg Band Help me get my Parrot Back if Lost? 

Leg bands can be a way to identify a lost parrot if you have documented the information on the leg band. This should include pictures of the leg band and also writing down all the letters and numbers on the band so that you can use this to prove ownership to the person who has found your bird. 

If you happen to be the one who has found a lost bird it is important not to publicly share the information on the band but ask for anyone claiming to be the owner to provide the information from the band as a way to prove ownership. Unfortunately scammers and thieves will come out of the woodwork to try and claim parrots because of their monetary value. 

The Downsides of Leg Bands

Leg Bands are not Permanent 

A leg band is limited to only being a identifier of the bird if the bird is still wearing it. Just like a description of what a missing person is wearing the last time they were seen, it can be changed. Leg bands can easily be removed by a finder if they are trying to hide this evidence of ownership for the purpose of keeping the bird or reselling it. 

Leg Bands do not Lead a Finder to the Owner

Unlike a dog tag that contains information to contact the owner of the lost dog, leg bands don't have any of this information nor is there any way to register the information of the leg band in a data base the way you can a microchip. 

Leg Bands can Cause Serious Injuries to Your Bird

Generally speaking closed leg bands (if applied correctly and of the correct size) are pretty safe for birds and they can wear them their entire lives without incident. But, accidents do happen and there is always a risk of injury for a bird wearing a band.

Some of the injuries that can happen are: 

• The band can get caught on toys or cages and cause sprains, abrasions, cuts, dislocations and breaks. 
• If your bird is injured on the leg that the band is on and there is swelling the band can cause circulation issues making the original injury much more serious and making removal of the band more difficult. 
• If the band is not sized correctly or not applied correctly it can rub and cause irritation or even impede movement leading to more permanent injuries to the joint near the leg band. 
• A bird can swallow a band that has been broken (more likely with open bands). 

Deciding to Remove the Band or Not?

If your bird has an open band, removing it should be highly considered as they pose the greatest risk and are just not worth exposing the bird to these dangers. 

Closed bands are safer and do have the advantage of adding an addtional way for an owner to prove a bird is theirs in the event the bird is lost and then found, so if it fits well and is of the correct size it can be worth keeping on a bird. An avian or exotic veterinarian can examine the band during a wellness exam to ensure it fits correctly. 

If you decide to remove the band from the bird's leg this should be done by a veterinarian only to prevent injury to the bird during the procedure. Depending on the band and the individual bird your veterinarian will advise on if they recommend removal and if it will require sedation or not. 

Microchips are a More Reliable Proof of Ownership

Microchips have so many more advantages for identifying a parrot and getting it back to it's owner: 

• Cannot be removed easily as they are embedded under the skin. 
• Can be scanned which will provide the owner contact information. 
• Does not cause injury or harm to the bird by getting caught on anything. 

For more information on microchips please refer to our blog post Microchipping Your Parrot. 

Other Resources

I Found a Bird! Now What? (This free guide is to help anyone who has found a bird (wild or tame) and is wondering what to do with the bird.)

Recovering a Lost Bird Guide (A helpful free guide full of tips on how to recover your lost bird and what measures you can take ahead of time to mitigate risks.)

GET YOUR BIRD BACK! | How To Guide on Recovering Your Lost Parrot (YouTube video from our channel with our best tips and tricks for recovering your lost bird outside.) 

Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.

Updated and Edited by Kim Russell, Parrot Behavior and Diet Consultant, on 10/25/24