Gulls

Green ring with a white 3 alpha-numeric code :
* letter A, C or J, E, and P and 2 numbers - used in France - see note 2 -
* letter R and 3 numbers or letter R and 2 numbers and 1 letter - used in France - see note 2 –
* number/letter/number) - used in France - see note 11 -
* 2 numbers and 1 letter (A,E,J,K,L,M,R,T,U,Y)) - used in Belgium -

note 1 : the French and the Belgian projects are respectively running since 1991 and 2000. Around 850 and 750 green rings have been respectively used in France and Belgium until 2001.
note 2 : used codes in the North of France : C00 - C99, E00 - E99, J00-J99 , R201-R00 , A00-A99 , H00-H99 (*), K00-K99, L00-L63 ; in the Camargue : 0A0-9A9 , 0C0-9C9 , T00-T99.
Since 2007 used codes are : R00A – R99X and used letters are A,C,E,H,J,K,L,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,X.
note 3 : during 2004 15 chicks were ringed at the colony of Jablines, dept. Seine-et-Marne by François Bouzendorf (codes M50-M66) ; 24 chicks were ringed at Oye Plage, N.France (codes U05-U28) ; 105 chicks were ringed at he Ornithological Parc of Marquenterre, dept. Somme with the help of Philippe Carruette (codes V00-V99 and Z01-Z05).
(*) : not used is H06, H08, H09, H60, H66, H68, H69, H80, H86, H88, H89, H90, H96, H98, H99 which could be read upside-down. H00 is put by mistake.
note 4 : during summer 2000, in the colony of Oye Plage (France) 53 juv. Med gulls have been ringed from which 35 with a green ring, during summer 2001, 224 birds are ringed in The Camargue, 163 at Oye Plage, Pas de Calais and 17 at Marquenterre, Baie de Somme.
note 5 : all sightings will be rewarded with a life history on a paper printout. On the other hand, fully updated life histories of all birds ever sighted by one observer can be obtained (only via e-mail).
note 6 : during 2002 rings starting with number 3 have been used. These rings should be read from the bottom to the top. Used letters in the letter-combination are: A, E, H, J, K, L, N, P, R, T, U, V. M and W are difficult and less used. Pay a very special attention to the letters M and W, K and R and P and the numbers 0, 6 , 8 and 9. Rings with the numbers 6 and 9 have been fitted on the other leg than the rest of the codes.
note 7 : during 2004 904 birds were ringed (123 >2K ; 781 juv. ; 364 new c-rings and 540 new steel rings). Used codes are : 3O-letter-letter ; 3T-letter-number ; 3V-letter-number ; 3X-letter-number.
note 8 : during 2005 some 233 pulli were ringed with the following codes : T50-T99 ; 0E0-9E9 ; 0H0-9H9 ; 0J0-9J9. In the colony of Jablines en Seine et Marre some 36 pulli were ringed with the following code: M67-M99 ; M00-M02. In the colony of Oye Plage some 37 pulli were ringed with the following code : U29-U64. No ringing at Marquenterre as the colony has been disturbed by wild-boar.
note 9 : for young birds ringed in 2006 in Oye plage (U00 - U75) ; Ardres, Pont d'Ardres (Z05 - Z62) ; Mardyck, Arcelor (X01 - X29) ; Camargue (0K0 - 9K9) , (0N1 - 9N7) , (0L0 - 9L9).
note 10 : during 2007 in the North of France 204 young birds have been ringed, coded 459 onwards. Also young birds, coded X01 – X97, were ringed.
note 11 : 33 young birds have been ringed in the Seine-Marne area, coded 0M0 - 9M9.
note 12 : do please send a cc.-mail to Renaud Flamant.