Finch Banding Finch Banding can be quite dangerous if not done properly. There have been several accidents that occur when this is not carried out successfully. I have observed birds with a missing toe because a  human fingernail accidentally clipped it off. Birds with broken legs because the individual banding  was tugging on the bird's  foot and not the band. Also I have heard and seen birds die during or shortly after. THis is usually caused when a chick is over exposed for long periods and suffers with too much stress. To alleviate this I suggest placing a  towel or paper towel over the finch and only exposing the leg to be banded.  Banding is a practice which is  not to be taken lightly, nor is it to be feared.  If done properly it is a beneficial tool in helping you understand your birds and their  clutch and behaviour activities. Banding can be  simple if you know what you are doing and have the proper equipment. Which includes:  tweezers, towel, lubricating jelly, a bowl of warm  water, a bowl filled with padding (rissues, paper towel, cloth,etc., and most importantly sterile gloves or sterile alcohol based soap How to begin: First you should only band birds that are between 8-11 days old. If the chicks are too young the band simply does not stay on and is lost in the nest; which means, the birds must be re-banded and undergo the stress twice.  Also young chicks are in great danger of being tossed by the parents who are merely removing debris ( the band) out of the nest.  Unfortunately the chick is usually attached, and is tossed and is in great danger of hypothermia  ( freezing ) because they cannot regulate their body temp at this early age and usually die if not found and replaced quick enough. If the chick is older then the allotted days the feet become to mobile ( making it very difficult to get all the toes lined up and the band on with the minimum of fuss. The ankle bone can be set and less malleable which means the band has a much tougher time sliding over the joint.   The bird and you are both much more stressed as you try to wriggle the band on and the bird feels the pinching constriction. This only makes the banding experience very difficult and  doing more harm then good to the bird, and can even result in scraped skin or injuries to the  toes, foot or entire leg.   Best advice band  at the prescribed date to ensure none of these problems occur. First scrub your hands with soap, or place on tight sterile latex gloves Remove chick (s)  from the nest and place in padded bowl. Place bowl near banding equipment. Remove a chick. Face it so that it's head is in your finger creases. Place it on a clean dry towel.  (figs. 1-2) cover the bird and expose it's  foot.  so that they are lined up correctly and are straight ( bent toes can cause many problems and can be very easily broken). (fig. 2) (This method actually calms the bird and keeps it a little more docile. The foot is less wrigley and it is easier to position the toes) Hint: to keep the foot from escaping make sure to keep the hole just big enough for the foot to slip through. Now we are ready to begin: Once you have exposed the foot, lubricate it with petroleum jelly or k-y jelly ( which is better as it is not oil based like p.j and is easier to clean off and will not block the skin pores.)  arrange the foot so that the back toe is out of the way and all three of the front toes are together.  (fig 3) Slide the ring over the three front toes making sure the bird's  toes are all straight ( if one is crooked, straighten before proceeding). Now that the toes are straight slide the ring to the ankle.  (fig 4) Slide the ring over the three toes and ankle with a pair of tweezers ( the clamps of the tweezers must be smooth and not serrated. Hold the foot and pull the ring with the tweezers to the nail on the back toe.  Never pull on the toes  as it can lead to dislocation or tearing.  (fig 5) Once this is done gently release the back toe with a  cotton swab or matchstick end.  Soak the bird's  foot in the water and use the towel to pat dry. Replace the chick to the bowl with the padding  and proceed with the following chick until the whole clutch is banded. Replace clutch to nest. Sterilize equipment in boiling water before banding the next clutch. Below you can see how the process is accomplished in our 8 step pictorial: The right Age to band your finch. Easiest indication of age is feather growth.  I use the tail to determine if the bird is banding age. If the Tail is just starting to grow then  this is the ideal age to start banding. This is usually the time nest hygiene is no longer practised by the parents. For our demonstration  we are banding a blue faced parrot finch. This technique can be used on any type of finch. Lubricating the toes.  Place a  small amount of lubricant on the toes to help the ring slide easily over the foot. This lubricating also helps keep the toes aligned properly.  (fig. 1) Toes are positioned in preparation of banding. The bird is then placed in the towel so it's body is horizontal and not upside down and the toes are positioned for banding.  Toes are positioned in preparation of banding.  (fig. 2) Ring is over three front toes.  Slide the ring with your hand or tweezers over the first three toes.  Make sure they are straight at all times. Ring is over three front toes.   (fig. 3) The ring is at the ankle. Once the ring is at the ankle joint the hardest part of banding begins, you must now use the tweezers to slide the band on the bird.  (fig. 4) Tweezers are being positioned to pull the band over the ankle. Hold the toes with your thumb and index finger and pull the band  carefully up the leg. Do not pull on the toes EVER (fig. 5) The ring is over the ankle, and on to the back toe.   (fig. 6) Once the ring is over the ankle bone you can easily slide it up to the tip of the rear toe. (fig. 6) The back toe is being released. Once the ring is slid to the nail  tip of the back toe release with your fingers, a cotton  swap or matchstick end.  Here I am using my finger. (fig. 7) The leg is finally banded Here the job is done and the toe is free.  This should take less then 20 seconds to accomplish.  Once done rinse the banded foot in bath of warm water to remove any p.j or other lubricant.     (fig 8) It is a good idea to make up a banding kit and store all utensils, rings, and first aid, etc... together to illiminate having to round them up at the last minute, thereby prolonging banding time. Keep the kit together and in a spot convenient to where you plan to band your chicks. This again illiminate time the chick is exposed, as well as the confusion, and frustration associated with searching out lost articles. This should be stress free for both you and the bird.  Any questions please  us All pictures and text are the intellectual property of  Lady Gouldian Finch Canada and cannot be reproduced in print on any medium including on the internet  without the expressed written consent of Lady Gouldian Finch Canada.  Links to this  page are always welcome. Home