The EURING Databank

The EURING databank (EDB) holds a high proportion of the ringing recovery data that have been gathered by bird ringing schemes throughout Europe. The databank is hosted by the British Trust for Ornithology. The data are computerised according to standard protocols that are used by all EURING schemes. This index provides a summary of the information that is held in the EDB, including maps of the distributions of ringing and recovery locations.

EURING is very keen to promote more analyses of these data and welcomes applications to analyse particular data sets. Information on how to apply to analyse recovery data held in the EURING databank is available here. Information about the types of data that are included in the EURING databank (EDB) and about how the index was constructed maybe found here.

A list of published research that made use of EDB data can be found here.


Types of data held in the EDB

Contributing Ringing Schemes are expected to contribute at least the following types of data to the EDB:

  1. Ringing and final encounter details for all birds ringed in their country and recovered fresh or long-dead, sick or injured.
  2. Ringing and re-encounter details for all birds re-encountered alive more than 10 km from the ringing place.

In addition schemes may also submit:

  1. Ringing and re-encounter details for all birds re-encountered less than 10 km from the ringing place.
  2. First encounter details of birds that have not been recovered.

Analysts are strongly advised to check that they understand the types of data being supplied by different Ringing Schemes. In particular, the extent to which some types of re-encounter data are available has increased dramatically in recent years; analysts should therefore pay careful attention to the temporal distribution of records. The exact distance threshold for the inclusion of short-distance live reencounters may vary between species and schemes within the above guidelines. The first table below (EDB contents – Scheme by Record Type) provides a useful summary of the types of encounter data that have been supplied by different schemes.


Current contents of the EDB

The EDB index is currently being revised - new material will be added as it becomes available.

Currently (November 2023) the contents are:

EDB data holdings summary by Scheme
PDF icon EDB_data_holdings_202311.pdf

The most recent full summary of the EDB contents (November 2022) is as follows:

Number of encounter records by Ringing Scheme and record type
PDF icon EDB_contents_scheme_by_record_type_202211.pdf

Number of encounter records by species and record type
PDF icon EDB_contents_species_by_record_type_202211.pdf

Number of encounter records by species and decade
PDF icon EDB_contents_species_by_decade_202211.pdf

EDB data holdings summary by Scheme
PDF icon EDB_data_holdings_202211.pdf


Previous EDB contents tables

Some previous records of EDB contents are listed below.

EDB data holdings summary by Scheme (March 2023)
PDF icon EDB_data_holdings_202303.pdf


EDB contents used for the Migration Atlas

When the EDB was frozen for the Eurasian African Bird Migration Atlas the contents were:

Number of encounter records by Ringing Scheme and record type on 15 January 2020
PDF icon EDB_contents_scheme_by_record_type_20200115.pdf

Number of encounter records by species and record type on 15 January 2020
PDF icon EDB_contents_species_by_record_type_20200115.pdf

Number of encounter records by species and decade on 15 January 2020
PDF icon EDB_contents_species_by_decade_20200115.pdf


Notes on these tables:

Species codes are summarised to species level.

Record types

First encounter is usually when a ring was first added to a bird;

Local means a subsequent encounter less than 10km from the ringing place;

Distant means a subsequent encounter 10km or more from the ringing place;

Recapture means caught by a ringer;

Resighting means metal ring or colour marks observed without capture of the bird;

Live recovery means that the bird was found alive but excluding above categories, i.e. metal ring information is between 4 and 7, condition is beween 4 and 9, and circumstances NOT 28, 29 or 80 to 89;

Dead recovery means that the bird was dead;

Other includes unknown circumstances, ring only found, etc.


 

Old EDB Index - published in 2009

Summary of numbers of recoveries by Species and decade for birds recovered dead and alive.

Summary of numbers of recoveries by Ringing Scheme and decade for birds recovered dead and alive.

Recovery data and maps for each species

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