On-line reporting of banded birds and bats

You can use this form to report the recovery of a banded bird or bat banded with an Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS) band. The ABBBS will send you a written report giving all of the banding details. If you are not sure if you have an ABBBS band, please go to Bird and Bat Bands for more information. If you think you may have a band used by Pigeon Racers and Breeders, please go to Domestic and Pigeon Bands for more information.

If you are not sure about the points above, please contact us.

Please fill in as much of the following information as you can, then press the SUBMIT button to submit your report to the ABBBS.

To clear the form please refresh your browser.
Report a band sighting

What type of band would you like to report?

What is the metal band ID?

Select the tile showing the colour marking  you are reporting. 

Leg flags, colour bands or readable band details

Colour combination (Reading from the top colour down, detail the colour bands observed i.e. blue over red . Please note any bands with split colours i.e. two colours on a single band)

Wing Tag or neck collar details
Domestic pigeon

The Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS) records sightings of metal bands with a 7 or 8-digit number for identification (e.g. 111-00622). We don’t record sightings of domestic pigeon bands. 

If you have found a pigeon band, you can try to contact your local pigeon club.  

You can also post the details of the bird on your local lost pet page on social media or contact a local veterinary clinic.

Submit an image

Please upload relevant images of the bird/bat and band. Submit a maximum of 2 images, no greater than 5MB each. Accepted files types include gif, jpg, jpeg, png, pdf. 

If you are unable to upload your photos, email us at abbbs@dcceew.gov.au


Maximum 2 files.
5 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif, jpg, png.

Species name:

Date
Location
Location type

Can you provide GPS coordinates where the band was found, in either Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DMS), or latitude and longitude? You can find coordinates using the instructions for your device. 

On your computer

Open Google Maps.

Search for your location in the search bar in the top right.

Right-click the place or area on the map. This will open a pop-up window. You can find your latitude and longitude in decimal format at the top.

To copy the coordinates automatically, left click on the latitude and longitude.

On Android devices

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app.

Touch and hold an area of the map that isn’t labelled to drop a red pin.

In the search box, you can find the coordinates.

On Apple

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app.

Touch and hold an area of the map that isn’t labelled to drop a red pin.

At the bottom, tap Dropped pin to find the coordinates.
Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

Please enter the latitude and longitude coordinates:

Address
Condition of bird/bat and band
How was the bird/bat/band obtained or observed?
What is the present condition of the bird/bat?
What has happened to the band since the encounter?
Your details
Privacy Statement

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the department) recognises the importance of protecting your privacy and personal information. The department respects your right to privacy and complies with the Privacy Act 1988 in relation to handling your personal information.

The department uses the information entered in this form to add the band recovery into its bat and bird banding database. The department collects your personal information in this form for the purposes of contacting you about the data provided in this form.

By completing and submitting this form you consent to the collection of personal information contained in this form.

Information you provide about band recovery may be shared with researcher/s, including sighting location and status. If a researcher would like to contact you about your submission, the department will request your consent to share your contact details. Your personal information and contact details will not be shared with researchers without your consent. If you don’t provide contact information requested in this form, the department will be unable to contact you about your submission.

Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

See the department’s Privacy Policy for more information about how the department collects, uses, stores and disclosures personal information.

Do you accept our privacy statement?

Thank you for reporting the sighting. Please note we won't be able to respond to your submission if you don't accept our privacy policy. You can still make a submission without providing your contact details.

Would you like to receive a response to your submission with information about the band? 
Contact info

Please provide your preferred contact details so we can respond to you with details of the band