Longevity list

Longevity lists were in the 1970s compiled by W. Rydzewski and published several times in the journal THE RING. These lists were the basis for updated lists published by Roland Staav in EURING Newsletters in 1998 and 2001. The list has successively been updated during recent years, but there are still many recoveries of old birds hidden in the archives of the ringing schemes.

Birds ringed as full-grown or adults have been included with a minimum age based on age at ringing (start of year set to 1st of July) and in those recoveries are age preceded by a >.

The plan is to include the two oldest individuals of a species in the list and the minimum age for a recovery to be included is five years. Recoveries of birds in the list where ring number and details are not included are published in atlases by those schemes.

All schemes are kindly requested to support updates of this list. New longevity records (either oldest or second oldest) should be sent to the bird ringing centre at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm by email.

Download the most recent version of the longevity list compiled in September 2023 here: Longevity list September 2023

 

 

Last updated:
Red-throated Diver
Gavia stellata
Sweden
D 1928
23yrs 7mths
Found dead (oiled)
GB & Ireland
1121168
22yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer (nesting)
Black-throated Diver
Gavia arctica
Germany
B 34256
>27yrs 10mths
Shot
Sweden
9800723
16yrs 1mths
Found dead
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis
Switzerland
929838
>17yrs 6mths
Controlled by ringer
Czech Republic
E 152888
>7yrs 5mths
Found dead
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus
Russian Federation
C 111277
19yrs 3mths
Shot
Switzerland
Z 7858
>14yrs 6mths
Found dead
Slavonian Grebe
Podiceps auritus
Iceland
V 4646
7yrs 0mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
FB 12760
>5yrs 11mths
Ring number read in the field
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
Czech Republic
D 43196
>13yrs 1mths
Shot
Spain
6018657
>7yrs 2mths
Killed by other species of bird
Cory's Shearwater
Calonectris diomedea
Portugal
L 000366
24yrs 10mths
Found dead
Portugal
L 5544
21yrs 0mths
Found dead
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinus
GB & Ireland
AT 14414
>50yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
GB & Ireland
AT 46622
>49yrs 8mths
Controlled by ringer
Balearic Shearwater
Puffinus mauretanicus
Spain
5005377
12yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialis
GB & Ireland
352227
>43yrs 11mths
Identified by other marks in the field
European Storm Petrel
Hydrobates pelagicus
GB & Ireland
649064
>33yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Norway
19yrs 11mths
Leach's Storm Petrel
Oceanodroma leucorhoa
GB & Ireland
BX 04521
>30yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
GB & Ireland
BB 84094
>22yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Gannet
Morus bassanus
GB & Ireland
1010527
37yrs 5mths
Found dead
Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Denmark
298375
27yrs 2mths
Ring number read in the field
Denmark
6885
25yrs 3mths
Accidentally trapped (e.g. fishnets)
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelis
GB & Ireland
102115
30yrs 7mths
Shot
Norway
17yrs 7mths
Bittern
Botaurus stellaris
The Netherlands
302703
>11yrs 4mths
Found dead
Sweden
9104864
9yrs 4mths
Shot
Little Bittern
Ixobrychus minutus
Hungary
425766
6yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Hungary
419817
6yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Spain
SE 19959
17yrs 0mths
Shot
France
DA 2894
16yrs 4mths
Found dead
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloides
Hungary
844
5yrs 10mths
Shot
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Spain
E 10374
18yrs 5mths
Shot
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
France
CD 2346
22yrs 4mths
Shot
Spain
H 13140
20ysr 11mths
Shot
Great Egret
Egretta alba
Hungary
516353
13yrs 9mths
Found dead (electrocuted)
Hungary
1830398
7yrs 1mths
Found dead (botulism)
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Denmark
292796
37yrs 6mths
Found dead
The Netherlands
73617
35yrs 1mths
Shot
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
Germany
B 1495
25yrs 5mths
Found dead
Hungary
504119
11yrs 6mths
Hunted
White Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Switzerland
S 127
39yrs 0mths
Found dead
France
B 3115
34yrs 10mths
Found dead
Black Stork
Ciconia nigra
Poland
A 995853
18yrs 7mths
Shot
Hungary
601238
15yrs 2mths
Ring number read in the field
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Hungary
27530
9yrs 1mths
Shot
Greater Flamingo
Phoenocopterus ruber
France
FA 5233
27yrs 6mths
Ring number read in the field
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
GB & Ireland
Z 40808
>28yrs 10mths
Found dead
Germany
111617
>28yrs 7mths
Ring number read in the field
Bewick's Swan
Cygnus columbianus
GB & Ireland
Z 20874
>23yrs 7mths
Ring number read in the field
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
Denmark
A 5632
26yrs 6mths
Controlled by ringer
GB & Ireland
Z 43025
>25yrs 9mths
Found dead
Bean Goose
Anser fabalis
Germany
210151
>25yrs 7mths
Found dead
Germany
206129
>12yrs 3mths
Shot
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchus
GB & Ireland
1007952
>40yrs 11mths
Found dead
Norway
22yrs 4mths
White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
The Netherlands
8008491
>25yrs 3mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
1193309
19yrs 2mths
Shot
Lesser White-fronted Goose
Anser erythropus
Sweden
9127696
14yrs 9mths
Ring number read in the field
Sweden
9153928
14yrs 0mths
Ring number read in the field
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Denmark
7775
24yrs 0mths
Ring number read in the field
Belgium
439
>23yrs 7mths
Found dead (road casualty)
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
GB & Ireland
5067777
27yrs 5mths
Ring number read in the field
GB & Ireland
5084137
27yrs 5mths
Found dead
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
GB & Ireland
1061347
28yrs 2mths
Found dead
Sweden
9179455
>25yrs 11mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Brent Goose
Branta bernicla
GB & Ireland
GP 86044
28yrs 10mths
Shot
Shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
GB & Ireland
GM 96505
24yrs 9mths
Found dead
Sweden
90A00877
>17yrs 9mths
Ring number read in the field
Wigeon
Anas penelope
GB & Ireland
AT 71365
35yrs 2mths
Shot
Denmark
14yrs 10mths
Gadwall
Anas strepera
GB & Ireland
AT 83971
>22yrs 4mths
Shot
Czech Republic
D 61605
9yrs 7mths
Shot
Teal
Anas crecca
Norway
21yrs 6mths
France
ED 1418
>21yrs 3mths
Shot
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Sweden
TA 5685
23yrs 3mths
Shot
Sweden
9048436
>21yrs 9mths
Shot
Pintail
Anas acuta
The Netherlands
5009767
>27yrs 5mths
Shot
Denmark
20yrs 5mths
Garganey
Anas querquedula
Denmark
14yrs 8mths
GB & Ireland
EC 74458
14yrs 7mths
Shot
Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Russian Federation
E 47327
20yrs 4mths
GB & Ireland
935572
>14yrs 9mths
Shot
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufina
Denmark
8yrs 9mths
GB & Ireland
940448
>8yrs 5mths
Ring number read in the field
Pochard
Aythya ferina
GB & Ireland
GK 61258
>23yrs 2mths
Shot
Switzerland
Z 49899
19yrs 5mths
Shot
Ferruginous Duck
Aythya nyroca
Switzerland
Z 5097
>9yrs 0mths
Killed by man

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