[mou] On Looking for Shorebird Bands

[David Benson]

If you get a good look at a shorebird, always look for bands or flags 
(sometimes, if the bird is "crouching", they are barely visible up near 
the body.). Note which leg the bands are on, whether they are above or 
below the joint, the colors, and their position relative to each other. 
Report any sightings to the Pan American Shorebird Program (PASP) 
(simplest to do a search for their web site, which also contains a key 
to band patterns.)

Seeing shorebird bands can be quite gratifying, because you may be able 
to figure out where they were banded. I saw two Sanderlings with bands 
this morning; from the band patterns, it appears that one had been 
banded in French Guiana and the other in Nicaragua.

Dave Benson
Duluth