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Band Recoveries

Telling the stories of raptors' lives

Color bands are secondary markers on banded birds
Color bands are secondary markers on banded birds for easy re-sighting

Teresa Ely/GGRO

When banded hawks subsequently encountered by humans are—hopefully—reported to the US Bird Banding Laboratory, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) receives a report of where the bird was found and what the circumstances were. Banding recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studies—what are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths.

Found a banded bird? Report the band number directly to the Bird Banding Laboratory at www.reportband.gov. Call GGRO with any questions at (415) 426-5290.