Identification Ring

[CocoaRocks]

Not for lack of trying and maybe I'm not using the correct terminology.

 

I have written down the numbers and letters on Cocoa's ring which is on her left foot. Is there an international format for what it all means.

 

Two numbers are stamped horizontally, two numbers then follow stamped vertically and much smaller followed by three letters.

 

Would an identification ring help me to find out whether Cocoa was bred in captivity or whether she was captured in the wild? I'll tell you why I'm asking this ... my hubby and I are both into doing things in our home which our 'friends' consider weird. Anyway we had found this old rusted corrugated iron sheeting and flattened this with hammers to use in our son's room as a ceiling. When we brought the corrugated sheeting into the house and walked past Cocoa on her perch she squawked, screamed and shrilled, it was so primal I felt in my bones, even thinking about it makes the hair on my neck rise. On another occasion we had a ton of boys sleeping over and I walked past her with sponge mattresses and I got the same. She was really really not okay and on both occasions she wouldn't allow me near her so I just put on some Beethoven and spoke to her very gently until she calmed down. Why would these kind of things spook her so?

 

I inherited Cocoa from my Daddy who in turn had got her from a family who migrated to New Zealand

[Dave007]

No, the band won't tell you whether he was born in captivity or in the wild. No, there is no international format for reading bands. Breeders usually put the bands on when the bird is about 10 days old or even younger and birds that are bought from pet stores also have bands which are put on when the babies are about 10 days old. Different private breeders can put on any information they want concerning chicks.

As far as what happened in the house, no type of construction be it small or large should ever be done anywhere near a parrot. The parrot shouldn't be able to see what's going on and ideally, the noise should be minimum. Moving any large item, mattress, box, large appliances, around the parrot will cause the parrot to thrash, scream, growl and squawk. Afterward the parrot will be extremely nervous and may bite and that nervousness may remain for a few days. A bird, when doing all of this may also seriously hurt itself.

"""When we brought the corrugated sheeting into the house and walked past Cocoa on her perch she squawked, screamed and shrilled, it was so primal I felt in my bones, even thinking about it makes the hair on my neck rise. On another occasion we had a ton of boys sleeping over and I walked past her with sponge mattresses and I got the same. """"

That's totally normal and it has nothing to do with where it was bred. It's best not to do those things near the bird. It may cause serious problems in the future.

[judygram]

No there is not an across the board way of telling what the letter and/or numbers on the band mean, it can vary from breeder to breeder but I would say your bird is a captive bird especially if the band isa closed one.

 

When you moved the sheeting and mattresses and brought them right past Cocoa you committed one of the worst sins you could have with a grey, they are very conscious of their surroundings and you do not do that for it scares the bejesus out of them and they freak out. Even furniture that is in the room they are in if you move it to a different place then it scares them, you should give her warning that you are coming thru with something and move very slowly or take her out and put her in another section of the house so she doesn't spook for they will squawk and flail all over their cage and maybe hurt themselves. Remember greys spook easily.

[CocoaRocks]

Thank you to Dave & Judy for the replies. Cocoa's band is closed. Having had very little interaction with greys or birds prior to Cocoa I certainly didn't know as much of what I do now... mostly thanks to this forum and the links which have been provided to other information. Still doing lots of reading and making lots of notes. Cocoa has been so good to me and for me that I can't help but want to learn more and offer her the best I can.

[Dave007]

Good. Read lots, make loads of notes, ask all the questions you want and you'll be satisfyed and happy with your bird.

Also, good luck with what the hubby and you are both doing concerning things in your home which your friends' consider weird.

Weird is only in the eyes of other onlookers.

[Cheshire Cat]

I was under the impression that rings were only put on captive bred birds. At least that's how I was aware it works here in the UK. My Tui has a band on her foot which reads 212 JW. 212 is her bird number and JW is the breeder initials. I assume 212 is her unique number to that particular breeder. I know someone (who I went to school with) and we spoke on Facebook and her bird's band is almost identical to Tui's so her bird was from the same breeder.

 

Sometimes I've only walked past Tui with something in my hand like clothing or a mug and she starts shrieking. As said before, Greys are very particular about their environment and don't like changes. So, personally, I don't think Cocoa's shrieking has anything to do with either being bred in the wild or captivity.

 

Hope the replies have helped!

Edited August 27, 2010 by Cheshire Cat

[Elvenking]

Issac hates large things moving past his cage. It freaks him out every time. Try to have them in another room if you have large furniture or other items moving around. All I know is it really scares Issac and I don't do it any more.

[Dave007]

You're right. The only reason that the band numbers are almost identical is because the birds came from the same breeder. A breeder in another part of town can put something else that's different on the band that's totally different so ID wouldn't be the same.

Most of the time, markings only apply to a band which has codes and you would have to ask that breeder exactly what the code means. It may be identification of a bird or maybe not.

 

 

""""I was under the impression that rings were only put on captive bred birds. """"

Birds who are bred by private breeders are privately bred chicks.

Birds who are bred for the purpose of selling in a pet store are commercially bred chicks.

None of the chicks are captured. What you're referring to is wild caught adults, not chicks and the practice of importing wild adults has been against the law since 1992 here in the US and other countries have similar laws.

 

There is another type of band called *open band* which can be taken off or put on a bird and that bird can be any age. It looks like a closed band but has a slit in it and it can be pried open or clamped shut over and over. Any type of markings can also be put on an open band.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Dave007

[Rrrma]

""""I was under the impression that rings were only put on captive bred birds. """"

Birds who are bred by private breeders are privately bred chicks.

Birds who are bred for the purpose of selling in a pet store are commercially bred chicks.

None of the chicks are captured. What you're referring to is wild caught adults, not chicks and the practice of importing wild adults has been against the law since 1992 here in the US and other countries have similar laws.

 

There is another type of band called *open band* which can be taken off or put on a bird and that bird can be any age. It looks like a closed band but has a slit in it and it can be pried open or clamped shut over and over. Any type of markings can also be put on an open band.

 

wow, has it really been since 1992? This gives me a good idea on the minimum amount of years my rescued wild-caught LCA has been in captivity.

 

They do band birds who were caught with the open band. There is information available through the USDA about wild-caught birds. They required all birds be banded prior to release from quarantine during importation.

 

I guess I never paid attention to the date they put a stop to it, I thought it was a little later in the 90s.

[Cheshire Cat]

Dave, I did realise that both our birds (mine and my friend) were from the same breeder. The initials are the same and we live in the same area. I did actually say that in my post.