RECAPTURE RATE AND BREEDING FREQUENCIES OF AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES WEARING DIFFERENT COLORED LEG BANDS

Abstract

Analysis of a banded population of American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) showed that frequencies of recaptured birds wearing at least one of nine different colored leg bands did not differ from expected frequencies over a 6-yr period. In a similar analysis, the likelihood of a bird becoming part of a local breeding population over a 4-yr period was independent of the color of its bands. For nine colors (yellow, orange, red, green, light blue, dark blue, black, pink, and white) analyzed separately, returning or breeding birds did not carry a particular color more often than expected. The use of colored leg bands in this breeding population did not appear to affect return or breeding frequencies of birds wearing at least one of a particular colored leg band. A trend towards returning and breeding males being less likely to carry a yellow band bears further study since yellow is the color of plumage characteristics associated with dominance during the nonbreeding season and mate choice in this species.