Split Ring Leg Band Question

[Spicybird]

Has anyone ever come across a split ring leg band that started with SC and 3 numbers following I have an Amazon rescue I just took to the vet he told me that it was a quarantine band but when I tried to research it there were no such bands that had SC on them. I was told when I aquired the Amazon that he was only 12 years old but the vet tells me he is 25 to 30 years old and an Import just wondering if anyone can give me any info on the ID or location of the band information the vet did remove the band as most vets do these days with the split bands due to the danger they pose to the bird and that it was causing him some irritation. Thanks

[Lisa B]

ahhhhhhhhh I did have all that info...will have to check my other computer for favorites as they didnt carry over to this laptop...
BTW, your vet is correct. Importation into the states stopped in Dec 1991.
so he;s older then 12, one cant be sure exactly if he's into his 30's

[Lisa B]

Here are some examples that might help get you started:


CAM828 A band like this would denote a California privately owned commercial import facility. The A = the quarantine station; the M = the first part of the bird’s ID

USDA owned quarantine stations band birds with letters and numbers. The letters = state. For example, Honolulu, Hawaii is “HH”; Key West, Florida is “T”; Miami, Florida is 58A, 58B, 58C, 58D,E,F or USDA-F; Newburgh, New York is NNY.

USDA-owned and operated quarantine stations use bands with letters and three or four numbers. The letters refer to the name of the station:
Honolulu, HI - HH
Key West, FL - T
Miami, FL - 58A, 58B, 58C, 58D, 58E, 58F or USDA-F
Newburgh, NY - NNY
The letters on the leg bands of USDA-regulated pet bird quarantine stations refer to location and are followed by three or four numbers:
Brownsville, TX - USDAB
Honolulu, HI - USDAH
Los Angeles, CA - USDAA
Miami, FL - USDAM
Mission, TX - USDAX ** for confiscated birds being put up for auction.
Newburgh, NY - USDANNY
San Ysidro, CA - USDAN
Privately owned commercial import stations use bands with an alphanumeric code - three letters followed by three numbers. The first letter signifies the state in which the station is located:
California - C,O
Florida - F
Hawaii - H
Illinois - I Louisiana - L
Michigan - M
New York - N
Texas - T

The second letter denotes the quarantine station, while the third letter is part of the bird's ID number. For additional information regarding the numbers and letters on a bird's import band, call the USDA Administration Office Department of Agriculture, Fish, & Wildlife.

Domestic birds wear closed bands. Their traceability depends upon the source of the band. Many bird associations such as SPBE, AFA or species related organizations offer record keeping services and bands to their members. There are other band providers who provide both traceable and non-traceable bands. To trace a band which has an organization name engraved on it, you would contact the organization engraved on the band. Each organization will have its own procedures to trace the band.

For example the bands for SPBE include a breeder code (usually 3 letters), a number (bird identification number) and the year. The initials SPBE also appear - that makes them traceable to that particular organization.

Major band providers, such as L & M Leg Bands and Red Bird, make many of the bands for the organizations mentioned. They also make bands for others, such as individual breeders and aviaries.

L & M offers customers engraving which includes: a buyer id code (up to three characters such as letters, numbers or symbols); a consecutive series of numbers so each band has a unique number for record-keeping; their state or Canadian province abbreviation; and lastly, the year. With the exception of some states, this is all optional. L & M is not imprinted on their bands.

It is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to trace a band which does not have an organization code on it. The best course is to contact the major band manufacturers. They have thousands of customers, so it is unlikely that the band buyer code would be unique. But they may be able to provide the names of a few breeders using this code, which is a starting point. The more information which has been engraved on the band, the better the chances of tracing it.

There are some states, such as Colorado or New Jersey, which have regulations which make tracing of bands easier. In Colorado the state assigns unique breeder codes that must appear on the bands, making them traceable. New Jersey requires band manufacturers to make sure that no one uses the same code twice and an 'NJ' in an oval must also appear on the bands. In California, budgies must have a traceable state registered closed band on in order to be sold, traded or bartered legally in the state.

[huntress]

Im interested in this conversation. Is the band a round ring or a flat ring?

[Spicybird]

Yes Lisa we found most of that info and to answer the other question it is a round band not a flat ring band the latters were SC and followed by 397 and it was on his right leg it being the only leg he has the lady I got him from ( I emailed her with the info I got from the vet ) answered me back and told me that she was told that the band was replaced due to the other leg had the original band on it and had been lost ???? when he lost his leg??? I am really begining to wonder how he really lost his leg I have heard horror stories of imported birds having their feet and legs torn off in the ways they were captured in the wild some being caught by putting glue on branches and placing bait to lure them and then there feet being torn off during capture. I was told that My Henry lost his leg due to a fight with a Racoon three years ago but now I am not so sure. Anyway he has a good home now and I intend to make sure he is happy and well taken care of for the rest of his sometimes cantankerous days. My husband will just have to steer clear of him when he is in one of his moods what ever may be causing it. The Vet did do a short clip on him today not a full clip due to the one leg and he appears to be doing fine he only clipped 5 feathers. We did pick up Maggie today she is in the opposite end of the house it remains to be seen if she is a she and Henry is truly a he as the Vet told us today that his Protien count was up and that could be due to an infection or an impending egg laying?? we get the blood work back on Friday He was a bit over weight so we are going on a diet. Henry is supposed to lose 45 grams over the next several months and he goes back to the vet in 6 months as long as the blood work is ok if he does not lay any eggs in that time we may do a DNA sex check we will see .