Pan American Shorebird Program

Photo: C.L. Gratto-Trevor
Canadian Wildlife Service

Since few species of shorebirds are hunted in North America, the traditional method of marking birds with metal leg bands was not an efficient way for researchers to get reports on their birds from other areas and trace their migration routes. For this reason, shorebirds are usually marked with colour bands and/or colour 'flags' (colour bands with a tab of varying length that sticks out from the leg) that can be easily seen from a distance.

The Pan American Shorebird Program (PASP) was created in the mid-1980s to develop a standardized bird banding system. The PASP assigned each country in the Americas a different colour flag code to make it easier to identify the banders of marked shorebirds. (For example, Canada uses a white flag; French Guiana has a light green flag.) Within each country, colour band combinations are also organized and assigned to specific banders. Prior to the PASP, it was extremely difficult to identify who banded the shorebirds and in what country the banding occurred.

The North American Banders' Manual for Banding Shorebirds by C.L. Gratto-Trevor is available by contacting the North American Banding Council (NABC) or the Canadian Bird Banding Office.

For further information on the Pan American Shorebird Program contact:

Canadian Bird Banding Office 
National Wildlife Research Centre
Canadian Wildlife Service
1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Road)
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3

Telephone: 613-998-0524
E-mail:  BBO_CWS@ec.gc.ca