Reading kaka bands
- Most kaka are banded as nestlings, however increasing numbers are hatching in inaccessible tree holes and we cannot band their offspring until they have left the nest. Although these are usually caught at the feeding stations or occasionally in people's gardens, there will always be unbanded kaka. We will learn much less about these individuals.
- Kaka do not have plastic coloured bands – they are usually given three colour-coated metal bands. On one leg there will be a single large numbered band which represents the cohort colour (on the example above, this is the big white band at the far left), and on the other leg two narrow coloured bands.
- Where there are two bands on a leg, note what colour the top band is, and then the colour of the band below that is closest to the foot. Sometimes the two bands might be the same colour.
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The bands are read top to bottom on each leg. Band combinations are written down as follows: left leg (top/bottom) - right leg (top/bottom) with a dash to distinguish the left leg from the right leg. e.g. red/green left-white/metal right is written R/G-W/M. You can abbreviate the record by using a letter for each colour as follows:
W (white), M (mauve), P (pink), R (red), O (orange), Y (yellow), L (light green), G (green), B (blue), K (black), M (uncoated metal)
For example, this bird is P-P/B (pink - pink/blue)