Choosing leg bands for lovebirds depends on several factors, such as the purpose of use (identification, competition, or hobby) and the type of lovebird itself.
But mainly in the hobby now it is more about what species we are going to give a leg band.
As you know that there are 9 species of lovebirds where some are small and some are large, of course it also affects the size of the leg band.
Although some associations usually include leg bands as bundling with membership dues, there are some people who choose not to join the association.
Especially for young aviculturists, there is still a bit of confusion about choosing the right leg band.
Types and sizes of leg bands for lovebirds
Each type of lovebird has a different leg size, so it is important to choose the appropriate leg band so that it is comfortable and safe for the bird. It is impossible for you to give a leg band for lilianae nyasa to a longfeather that even put on its feet may not fit.
Therefore, it is very important to know what species and size of leg band is appropriate. In terms of size I will divide it into 3:
- Diameter 4.2: Can be placed for species that have a slightly smaller body size than other species, namely agapornis lilianae nyasa, nigrigenis.
- Diameter 4.5 : This size can almost be placed in all lovebird species, as for fischeri, personatus, taranta, roseicollis, madagascar, and pullarius.
- Diameter 5.0 : This is the largest size leg band, this size is perfect for roseicollis long feather lovebirds.
Good materials for leg bands
In addition, considering the base material is also top of mind. Since lovebirds love to bite, it is highly recommended to choose a leg band with a metal or aluminium alloy base material.
Considering the finishing should also be considered, avoid leg bands with poor quality paint finishing, because it can peel off when bitten by birds. Coating or stainless finishes are preferable as they are relatively safer.
Design and information on leg bands
Leg bands were not created solely as accessories, but also as a source of information that should be accurate.
For this reason, every association must have formulated the code sequence on the legband. This is useful as a sign of membership or can also be a method of conservation.
You can notice in the picture that the first code ‘NB’ is usually the initials of the name of an association, but if you are an individual you can replace it with the initials of your farm name, for example ‘ABN’ Ahmad Bird Farm.
The second code in the image shows the year the bird was hatched, this is very important for a record, this code can also be used as a method of identifying the age of the lovebird. Usually each year has a different leg band colour.
At least officially in various associations there are 6 leg band colours that have been adapted to the current year.
- Purple odd years
- Yellow even years
- Blue odd years
- Red even years (2024)
- Black odd years
- Green even years
So if this year (2024) the leg band is red then in 2025 it will be black, and so on in rotation.
The third code is to put the membership number of an association that you belong to, if you do not belong to any association, you can replace it with the parent's spouse serial number information. Again, this is important for record keeping in the breeding of lovebirds. For transmutation purposes for example, to avoid mistakes in F1 pairing and so on.
The fourth code in the picture is for putting the bird's sequence number.
Lovebird leg band codes from different associations and countries
- DKB = GERMANY
- AOB = BELGIUM
- IOA = ENGLISH
- FOI = ITALIAN
- NB = NETHERLANDS
- FNP = PORTUGAL
- AZ = GERMAN
- VZE = GERMAN
- BVA = CLUB BELGIUM
- KBOF = CLUB BELGIUM
- AB = NETHERLANDS
- KLI = INDONESIA