Gulls

Green ring with white 4 alpha-numeric code.
* starting letter 'R'.
* starting number '3' and then letter-letter-number.
* starting codes are also RL, RP, RR and RS followed by two numbers.

note 1 : the French (also with starting letter 'R') and the Belgian (starting number '3') 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 3 alpha-numeric 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.
During 2011, in the Colonie de Conchil le Temple, Pas de Calais, FR some 451 pulli are ringed.
The serie R (number/number/letter) was stopped and the new series are RA00-RC99 and RE00 till RX99.  

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) ; during 2011 in the colony of Noirmoutier, FR some 200 pulli were ringed with the series 0T0 till 9T9 and 0P0 till 9P9.

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 11 : during 2012 these codes are used in the Camargue: RAE0 - RAL9
RAN0 - REK9, REL0 - RHH9, RHJ0 - RJA9.

note 12 : following codes are reserved for the future : green rings with code “R-letter-letter-cipher” using the following letters : A, E, H, J, K, L, N, P, R, T, V, X.

note 13 : during 2015 >1450 birds have been ringed in three French colonies : Noirmoutier, Baie de Somme and Jablines.
See https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B02eHzPyfNFvNDZSZ0lqNS1TTGs/edit

note 14 : A new project starts in 2021 to study migratory and foraging tracks over the Golfe du Lion, in link with potential offshore wind turbine projects, with specific codes attributed to these green rings deployed in French Mediterranean departements.

note 15 :