Parrot Leg Bands

by Matthew

What do the numbers on the ring on a Amazon parrot’s leg mean?

Answer:

Hi Matthew,

This is a great question! The letters and numbers on a parrot leg band usually represent the breeder if born in the United States or the nation of its origin if it was imported.

Open leg bands are given to older birds prior to being released from quarantine during importation. Those bands include an identification number for the bird and a letter representing the state where the bird was quarantined. The most common ones are:

C or O: California
F: Florida
I: Illinois
L: Louisiana
M: Michigan
N: New York

Closed leg bands are slipped onto a bird’s leg soon after birth by parrot breeders. The breeder’s code are the first three letters on the band followed by the bird’s identification number. The last two numbers are the year when the bird was hatched.

I hope this helps!

God bless,

Michelle Jay