Introducing Bird Ringing

This course is fully booked on this date but you can join the waiting list (by scrollling to the bottom of the page) in case space becomes available or it is run on another date.

Ringing is an important method for monitoring bird populations and movements and provides data of great value to conservation. Since it involves trapping and handling live birds, it requires extensive training under the careful guidance of British Trust for Ornithology licensed trainers.

Most ringing is carried out by people in their own time as an extension of an existing interest in birds. They enjoy the challenges of learning new skills and appreciate the long-term value of the data they are helping to collect. The BTO is keen to encourage new recruits to join the training programmes, but recognises that some may appreciate a 'taster' of what is involved, before making the commitment to contact and work alongside a trainer for a two to three year period or more.

This weekend is therefore an opportunity to learn some of the principles of the ringing scheme and to gain some first-hand experience of ringing techniques. You will be given a general overview of the scheme as a whole and how it fits into the overall strategy of Integrated Population Monitoring.

You will also be given a step-by-step introduction to 'processing' live birds - handling safely, securing rings, identifying species, noting gender and age and taking simple measurements. You will be watching at first, then having hands-on experience as appropriate, appreciating that the most important caveat for any ringer is 'the welfare of the bird always comes first'.

Weather permitting, we intend to demonstrate ringing mainly at Flatford Mill, but may also visit Landguard Bird Observatory on the Suffolk coast if conditions are more appropriate there. If at the end of the weekend you feel that you would like to take things further (and we can validate your basic competence), we will help you make contact with a suitable Trainer in your local area.

Note that the course starts at 1400 on Friday and ends at 1400 on Sunday and that early rising is likely on both Saturday and Sunday!

For more information on ringing visit: www.bto.org

‘Trainers all kind, generous, patient and knowledgeable’. Course participant, July 2011

Since the course involves you in the handling of live birds, the weekend is run by experienced BTO Trainers. The course is limited to 12 places.

There will be three trainers looking after three or four people at a time, who will take turns to 'do' and 'watch', plus three or four other ringers who will be running the ringing site and looking after the birds.

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