Eurasian Spoonbill

Black ring with white three alpha-numeric code (on one leg) and metal ring (on other leg).

note 1 : example : a/N[IAB] and a/N[01X] and a/N[238] and a/N[A01].

note 2 : the letter "I" has two large stipples at the end, so it's often reported as "T"; however all 3 letters codes always begin with the letter "I" while the letter "T" has never been used in the first position of the code. From 2016 onwards we will start to use codes made combining a letter in the first positiion (A, B, C, D, F, H, J, K, L, N, P, S, T, V, Z) plus 2 numbers (00-99).

note 3 : Mauro Fasola ringed in 1991-1998, since then Stefano Volponi is carrying on the field work.

note 4 : 

White ring with a 4 alpha-numeric code (first digit always J, the following ones could be letters and numbers - see note 4 - ) (on right leg) and metal ring (on left leg).

note 1 : used codes are between J001-J999, J000; JA01-JA99, JA00; JF01-JF99, JF00; JK01-JK99, JK00; JH01-JH99; JH00; JJ01-JJ99, JJ00, L001-L999.

note 2 : we have ringed in 2016 a total of 169 chicks.

note 3 : colour rings can look yellowish because of the mud on its surface.

note 4 : there are many recoveries from Italy and Tunisia. Old metal ringed recoveries and some colour ringed recoveries show that Spoonbills move trough the Balkan to Turkey, the Middle East, and River Nile; and from Tunisia to Sub-Saharan Africa. There are many gaps in our knowledge about movements of Spoonbills in Algeria, in Egypt, in Sub-Saharan Africa, in the Middle East, in Turkey, in the Balkan (Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Greece).

note 5 : used combinations are :
Jnnn: 1000 rings.
Jnnl (FHKLPV) : 600 rings.
lnn (AFHJKLPTV) : 900 rings.
Jlln (FH and FHJKLPV) : 80 rings.

note 6 :

Combination of :
* small rings (3-4) without inscription ... either
- 1 to 3 c-rings (on one leg)
- metal ring  with or without a c-ring (on other leg)
OR
- 2 c-rings (on each leg) and metal ring (on other leg).

note 1 : examples: a/ROB, aW/ROB, ROB/a, ROB/Wa, ROa/WB.

note 2 : about 120 birds yearly are ringed.

note 3 : seven colours are used : grey, white, yellow, orange, red, dark blue, dark green and light green (lime). 

note 4 : pay attention on the grey ring and metal ring.

White ring with a black three alpha-numeric code, starting letter 'C' followed by a black, vertical line and two alpha-numerics.

note 1 : used numeric codes are 00 till 39 ; the alphanumeric codes are 0A till 0X, 1A till 1X , 2A till 2X , 3A till 3X (with certain letters excluded).
note 2 : the position of the metal ring indicates the colony / origin of birth.  

Combination of one or two c-rings (not engraved) on both legs, eventually in combination of striped c-rings.

note 1 :

Combination of a flag and several c-rings.

note 1 : a coloured flag in combination with a metal ring and four plain coloured rings. The colours used are: red (R), yellow (Y), black (N), dark blue (B), light blue (P), dark green (G) and light green (L). The colours orange, pink and white have NOT been used as plain rings. The colour of the flag reveals something about the country where the spoonbill was ringed. The Netherlands: yellow flag (Yf) or black flag (Nf), Germany: white, lime or green flag, Belgium: blue or black flag, Portugal: light blue flag, Mauritania and Croatia: red flag, Hungary: blue flag.

In 2010 also birds in Uzbekistan and Iran were ringed.

note 2 : if you don't know which scheme the colour-ringed bird belongs, send your observation also to the Working-group for Spoonbills, The Netherlands and they'll take care for sending it to the right person. During breeding season 2004 juvenile birds have been ringed in Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Croatia, Hungary, the Czech-Republic, Romania and Serbia.

note 3 : in many cases red rings lose their colours and they could look pinkish or orangish tinge. Photo could help in the identification, so if you have the chance, take photo on those individuals, please!

note 6: the loss of rings could occur.

note 7 : interview in Ducth : https://www.niozpodcast.nl/episode/episode9-de-lepelaar-als-pleegkind-me...

White ring with a black 4 alpha code.

note 1 : 4 alphanumeric code (used caracters : A, B, C, D, F, H, J, L, N, P, S, T, V, X, Z - 1-2-3-5-6-9).

note 2 : Used starting letters are A or F / Rings starting by letter A can be AAAA-AZZZ or A111-A356 / Rings starting by F can be FAAA-FZZZ (no numéric caracters)

note 3 : Some birds are double ringed to study the ring loss rate (please report the 2 rings when you see them)

note 4 : >5600 birds rings since 2008.

note 5 : 

ELSA-ring with its specific code.

note 1 : 7X854 DEW is a bird ringed by Wilhelmshaven/Helgoland.