Duck Banding at Hullett
Each year starting the first week of August and lasting into the first week of September, a duck-banding program is undertaken at Hullett. Duck banding in Canada is coordinated by the Canadian Bird Banding Office (CBBO), and administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). Cloverleaf, heart-shaped and box traps are baited with corn in strategic areas within the marsh to coax ducks in. Each morning and evening, near dawn and dusk, the bander checks the traps. If there are birds in the trap, they are picked out and fitted with a lightweight and waterproof metal band. The band has a code, plus a phone number on it, for those finding the band to call in to report the duck. The following data is also taken before the duck is subsequently released: the species, location banded, the date it was banded, the age of bird, its weight, wing span, and gender. This data is used to monitor survival rates of certain species and to collect migration data when the bands are recovered and the data analyzed. The information obtained is used to set hunting regulations and bag limits for certain ducks each year, to protect endangered species, and additionally to assess contaminants in the duck and its habitat.
To report a band you can call the phone number on the band or visit www.reportband.gov. If you find a band, record the numbers in sequence on the band. If there is a second band on the bird, what is the colour and material of the band? What is the date and where is the exact location that the band was found? Add what species the bird is, what sex it is, and the age or any other info regarding the duck if obtainable. When you report a band, you get a certificate stating when and where the duck has been banded as well as information on the particular species that was banded.
At Hullett, the majority of birds banded are Mallards, Blue-winged Teals and Wood Ducks. The data gathered greatly aids researchers in studying the life of waterfowl, as well as monitoring the health of our environment.
2006 Banding Results:
| Birds | #Banded |
| Mallard | 290 |
| Black Duck | 4 |
| Wood Duck | 82 |
| Ring-neck Duck | 1 |
2006 Total - 377
2007 Results:
| Birds | #Banded |
| Mallard | 253 |
| Black Duck | 6 |
| Mallard/Black Duck Hybrid | 1 |
| Wood Duck | 102 |
2007 Total - 362
