Peregrine Falcons are fitted with metal leg bands to provide researchers with valuable data on peregrine survival rates, dispersal distances, and population growth rates. In coordination with other falcon banders in the East, CCB constructed a searchable database of alpha-numeric bands to assist reporting resight information to the individual banders in each state.

The Peregrine band database is a combination of banding records shared by falcon coordinators from 15 states and a list of bands distributed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service's New England Field Office.

TYPES OF BANDS

The standard leg band for Peregrines is a silver metal band issued by the federal Bird Banding Lab. The band is inscribed with a unique 9 digit code that allows birds to be identified during future resights or captures. To report seeing one of these bands, visit the ReportBand.gov website.

A second bi-color band is fitted on the falcon's opposite leg and includes a field-readable alpha-numeric code. Falcons in the Eastern US are banded with either BLACK over RED (1989-2004) or BLACK over GREEN (2000 - present). There are also several orientations and alphanumeric character arrangements on the bands. When reading a band, an observer should note the top character and its orientation (vertical or horizontal), the top background color, then note the bottom character code, orientation, and color.

Type 3	Type 6	Type 9	Type 9	Type 12	Type 17	Type 18

For example, below are a mated pair of falcons from the Berkley Bridge in Virginia.

Female: Black E over Green 4 (Type 3)	Male: Black 6 over Red horizontal D (Type 17)

IN VIRGINIA

In Virginia, falcon nestlings are banded with an annodized green US Fish and Wildlife Service band on the right leg and a bi-color alphanumeric band on the left leg. In addition, falcons that are hacked in cooperation with the NPS can have colored tape temporarily covering one of the bands. Please contact the Center for Conservation Biology with information regarding sightings of Peregrine Falcons in Virginia. In your email, please include date of observation, detailed description of location, and any behavioral observations. Contact: Libby Mojica ekmojica@wm.edu 757-221-1680

 OTHER EASTERN STATES

In coordination with other banders in the East, CCB constructed a searchable database of alpha-numeric bands to assist reporting resight information to the individual banders in each state. The database is a combination of banding records shared by each state's falcon coordinator and a list of bands distributed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service's New England Field Office. We made a thorough search to include as many bands as possible in the database (>3,600) but there is always a chance we missed a few.

After searching our database for a band code, contact the bander directly to report your sighting. If you have questions about a banded falcon in your state, please contact your state's falcon coordinator for assistance. If you are unable to find your band here, there is an additional Midwestern database for falcons banded in the midwestern states and provinces.