A Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit is required by the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) whenever someone wants to place a bird band or any type of marker on a wild bird protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act or on a Federally-protected bird that will be released into the wild.
The following provisions within the Federal Code of Regulations apply to the issuance of Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permits: 50 CFR 10 General Provisions, 50 CFR 13 General Permit Procedures and 50 CFR 21 Migratory Bird Permits. Only official U.S. Geological Survey federal bird bands may be placed on federally-protected birds that are released into the wild within the United States.
Types of Permits
The Bird Banding Laboratory offers distinct federal permit types: master station, master personal and sub-permits.
- Master Station Permit: When a banding project is operated by an organization such as a university, government department or a bird observatory conducting long-term monitoring projects, a station permit may be issued. While individual banders in a long-term project may come and go, the projects are operated under a single organization and may occur at a fixed location or at multiple locations. Data are associated with the station (or organization) rather than an individual. An experienced and qualified "responsible individual" is designated by the organization to be responsible for the permit administrative duties. As the responsible individual, you may oversee the activities of one or many sub-permits and will be responsible for all operations/activities occurring under the permit. Some of those duties include reporting data collected, maintaining the band inventory, granting permissions to the sub-permits on the Bander Portal menu access, ensuring compliance with permit authorizations, requesting modifications or renewals of the permit, and requesting new sub-permits.
- Master Personal Permit: The master personal permit holder is a qualified individual authorized to undertake the banding related activities for species listed on the master personal permit which may occur at a fixed location or multiple locations. As the master permit holder, you may oversee the activities of one or many sub-permits and will be responsible for all operations/activities occurring under the permit. The master personal permit holder is responsible for all permit administrative duties associated with the permit. Some of those duties include reporting data collected, maintaining the band inventory, granting permissions to the sub-permits on the Bander Portal menu access, ensuring compliance with permit authorizations, and requesting modifications or renewals of the permit, and requesting new sub-permits.
- Sub-Permit: A sub-permit may be issued to a qualified individual who works on projects in association with a master personal or master station permit. Sub-permittees band birds for the project of the master personal or master station permit or for their own research project. A sub-permittee may work on the activities listed on the sub-permit without supervision; however, they must coordinate with the master bander for all administrative responsibilities, including permission with use of the Bander Portal. The sub-permittee may band birds on their own, record and report data collected, work as the bander in charge, or act as a non-banding data manager for the permit.
Ethics
To minimize the effects of banding birds and the costs of processing banding data, the use of bands and/or markers should be limited to well-designed projects that will improve our understanding of birds and that require the individual marking of birds to address the research questions. Banders should ensure that the use of bands and/or markers will allow them to address the objectives of their studies. They should carefully select the most appropriate methods to capture, band, and/or mark birds, recognizing that the welfare of the birds should be the most important priority. Read more about the ethics and responsibilities of bird banders.
Another consideration is whether banding birds is necessary for a project or whether temporary markers such as a drop of dye or trimmed feather tips may serve their purposes equally as well. A Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit and auxiliary marking authorization is still required for the use of temporary markers.
General Requirements and Scope of Permit
Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permits are issued only to persons 21 years of age or older. There is currently no fee for this permit which is valid for a period up to 3 years. This permit authorizes the capture of wild birds for the purposes of banding and marking and to salvage birds that are found dead or are accidentally killed during normal banding activities. Additionally, these permits can authorize the collection of blood, feather, and some other biological sampling (e.g., mouth swabs) from birds that are also banded and/or marked. Permittees are required to maintain and electronically submit detailed records of all banded birds to the BBL. Salvaged specimens must be donated to a public, educational, or scientific institution within 6 months of collection.
Not Included
Activities not authorized under a Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit include holding birds in captivity for any type of scientific study, transporting birds, eggs, nests, or parts thereof, collection of any tissues samples other than blood, feather, and some other biological sampling (e.g., mouth swabs), and performing surgical procedures. These activities will likely require a Migratory Bird Scientific Collection Permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS Migratory Birds Office should be contacted to obtain this permit, or visit the permits section of the Ornithological Council for more information. In addition, a Federal Banding and Marking Permit does not authorize the removal or modification of a band or auxiliary marker from a bird not banded by the permittee without permission of the original bander unless the health or safety of the bird is at risk.
Apply
To apply for a new master banding permit, a completed Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit application form must be submitted to the BBL Permits Office. Please read the instructions for more details about completing this form and the related materials required by the BBL for its review of each application. Providing all of the required information will expedite the processing of each application. Please allow a minimum of 4-6 months for the BBL to process and review each application for a new master banding permit.
- Master banding permit application form, application checklist, and instructions
The applicant must indicate the specific authorizations that are being requested for their new master banding permit. Specific details for each authorization are provided below:
- Species authorizations for birds proposed to be banded and/or marked
- Banding and/or marking of federal endangered or threatened species
- Capture techniques proposed to be used
- States and/or territories where the bander will be working
- Banding authorizations for foreign countries
- Banding rehabilitated birds
- Blood sampling authorizations
- Feather sampling authorizations
- Swab sampling authorizations
- Auxiliary marking authorizations
Make changes to existing permit:
- Request a sub-permit
- Change the responsible individual for a Master Station Banding Permit
- Permit inactivation
- Permit reactivation
- Permit Renewal
- Request additional authorizations
- Request to add a data manager
A Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit is required by the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) whenever someone wants to place a bird band or any type of marker on a wild bird protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act or on a Federally-protected bird that will be released into the wild.
The following provisions within the Federal Code of Regulations apply to the issuance of Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permits: 50 CFR 10 General Provisions, 50 CFR 13 General Permit Procedures and 50 CFR 21 Migratory Bird Permits. Only official U.S. Geological Survey federal bird bands may be placed on federally-protected birds that are released into the wild within the United States.
Types of Permits
The Bird Banding Laboratory offers distinct federal permit types: master station, master personal and sub-permits.
- Master Station Permit: When a banding project is operated by an organization such as a university, government department or a bird observatory conducting long-term monitoring projects, a station permit may be issued. While individual banders in a long-term project may come and go, the projects are operated under a single organization and may occur at a fixed location or at multiple locations. Data are associated with the station (or organization) rather than an individual. An experienced and qualified "responsible individual" is designated by the organization to be responsible for the permit administrative duties. As the responsible individual, you may oversee the activities of one or many sub-permits and will be responsible for all operations/activities occurring under the permit. Some of those duties include reporting data collected, maintaining the band inventory, granting permissions to the sub-permits on the Bander Portal menu access, ensuring compliance with permit authorizations, requesting modifications or renewals of the permit, and requesting new sub-permits.
- Master Personal Permit: The master personal permit holder is a qualified individual authorized to undertake the banding related activities for species listed on the master personal permit which may occur at a fixed location or multiple locations. As the master permit holder, you may oversee the activities of one or many sub-permits and will be responsible for all operations/activities occurring under the permit. The master personal permit holder is responsible for all permit administrative duties associated with the permit. Some of those duties include reporting data collected, maintaining the band inventory, granting permissions to the sub-permits on the Bander Portal menu access, ensuring compliance with permit authorizations, and requesting modifications or renewals of the permit, and requesting new sub-permits.
- Sub-Permit: A sub-permit may be issued to a qualified individual who works on projects in association with a master personal or master station permit. Sub-permittees band birds for the project of the master personal or master station permit or for their own research project. A sub-permittee may work on the activities listed on the sub-permit without supervision; however, they must coordinate with the master bander for all administrative responsibilities, including permission with use of the Bander Portal. The sub-permittee may band birds on their own, record and report data collected, work as the bander in charge, or act as a non-banding data manager for the permit.
Ethics
To minimize the effects of banding birds and the costs of processing banding data, the use of bands and/or markers should be limited to well-designed projects that will improve our understanding of birds and that require the individual marking of birds to address the research questions. Banders should ensure that the use of bands and/or markers will allow them to address the objectives of their studies. They should carefully select the most appropriate methods to capture, band, and/or mark birds, recognizing that the welfare of the birds should be the most important priority. Read more about the ethics and responsibilities of bird banders.
Another consideration is whether banding birds is necessary for a project or whether temporary markers such as a drop of dye or trimmed feather tips may serve their purposes equally as well. A Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit and auxiliary marking authorization is still required for the use of temporary markers.
General Requirements and Scope of Permit
Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permits are issued only to persons 21 years of age or older. There is currently no fee for this permit which is valid for a period up to 3 years. This permit authorizes the capture of wild birds for the purposes of banding and marking and to salvage birds that are found dead or are accidentally killed during normal banding activities. Additionally, these permits can authorize the collection of blood, feather, and some other biological sampling (e.g., mouth swabs) from birds that are also banded and/or marked. Permittees are required to maintain and electronically submit detailed records of all banded birds to the BBL. Salvaged specimens must be donated to a public, educational, or scientific institution within 6 months of collection.
Not Included
Activities not authorized under a Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit include holding birds in captivity for any type of scientific study, transporting birds, eggs, nests, or parts thereof, collection of any tissues samples other than blood, feather, and some other biological sampling (e.g., mouth swabs), and performing surgical procedures. These activities will likely require a Migratory Bird Scientific Collection Permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS Migratory Birds Office should be contacted to obtain this permit, or visit the permits section of the Ornithological Council for more information. In addition, a Federal Banding and Marking Permit does not authorize the removal or modification of a band or auxiliary marker from a bird not banded by the permittee without permission of the original bander unless the health or safety of the bird is at risk.
Apply
To apply for a new master banding permit, a completed Federal Bird Banding and Marking Permit application form must be submitted to the BBL Permits Office. Please read the instructions for more details about completing this form and the related materials required by the BBL for its review of each application. Providing all of the required information will expedite the processing of each application. Please allow a minimum of 4-6 months for the BBL to process and review each application for a new master banding permit.
- Master banding permit application form, application checklist, and instructions
The applicant must indicate the specific authorizations that are being requested for their new master banding permit. Specific details for each authorization are provided below:
- Species authorizations for birds proposed to be banded and/or marked
- Banding and/or marking of federal endangered or threatened species
- Capture techniques proposed to be used
- States and/or territories where the bander will be working
- Banding authorizations for foreign countries
- Banding rehabilitated birds
- Blood sampling authorizations
- Feather sampling authorizations
- Swab sampling authorizations
- Auxiliary marking authorizations
Make changes to existing permit:
- Request a sub-permit
- Change the responsible individual for a Master Station Banding Permit
- Permit inactivation
- Permit reactivation
- Permit Renewal
- Request additional authorizations
- Request to add a data manager