Banded Redtail Hawk

May 10, 2012

Question: My daughter has a red-shouldered hawk that frequents her deck in San Rafael. The hawk seems to enjoy scanning from the railing for critters it might like to eat. This bird appears to have a silver tag on its right leg just above the claw but I can’t read the writing. I was wondering if DFG or any agencies that you know of have a tagging program for hawks? (Ken M., Oakland)

Answer: Yes, there are numerous researchers both in and outside of California that capture and mark birds. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Raptor Biologist Carie Battistone, identification bands should be reported to the Bird Banding Lab (BBL) (www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/), administered by USGS. If someone sees a marked bird, such as this red-shouldered hawk, they can report it by accessing BBL’s website and clicking the “Report a Bird Band or Marked Bird” link. This national program allows researchers to study bird movement (dispersal and migration patterns), survival, population trends and more.

Many bands are reported when a bird is recaptured or dies. Reading the band number can be hard, but not impossible, on live birds. In addition to silver bands, researchers also use color bands which tend to be much easier to identify and report.