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

Download the previous version of the longevity list compiled in April 2017 here: Longevity list April 2017

 

 

The table below was compiled in 2010 and will be updated shortly.

Last updated:
Coot
Fulica atra
Denmark
316250
>20yrs 7mths
Shot
Switzerland
Z 38178
>17yrs 4mths
Shot
Crane
Grus grus
Sweden
9237782
20yrs 3mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Finland
M-2479
17yrs 3mths
Found dead (wires)
Great Bustard
Otis Tarda
Hungary
604951
9yrs 9mths
Found dead
Hungary
600354
9yrs 5mths
Shot
Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
Germany
5022926
43yrs 4mths
Killed by bird of prey
GB & Ireland
SS 88071
36yrs 11mths
Found dead
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Spain
4037768
>10yrs 3mths
Ring number read in the field
Portugal
J 4768
8yrs 11mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta
The Netherlands
3047434
27yrs 10mths
Ring number read in the field
Denmark
24yrs 6mths
Stone Curlew
Burhinus oedicnemus
GB & Ireland
ED 41923
17yrs 10mths
Found dead (road casualty)
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubius
Finland
KT-453
>13yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Sweden
3242069
>12yrs 10mths
Ring number read in the field
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
GB & Ireland
BV 85945
>20yrs 10mths
Ring number read in the field
Sweden
3341311
16yrs 0mths
Ring number read in the field
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
Sweden
3247244
19yrs 0mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Sweden
3258164
16yrs 1mths
Ring number read in the field
Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus
GB & Ireland
XR 45242
>11yrs 9mths
Found dead
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
The Netherlands
364033
>12yrs 9mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
2072773
>12yrs 7mths
Found dead
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
GB & Ireland
DS 08723
>25yrs 7mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
DS 28889
>23yrs 6mths
Killed by bird of prey
Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus
Denmark
24yrs 6mths
Denmark
690909
>23yrs 7mths
Killed by man
Knot
Calidris canutus
GB & Ireland
CE 25745
26yrs 8mths
Ring number read in the field
GB & Ireland
CK 68568
>25yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Sanderling
Calidris alba
GB & Ireland
BB 52147
>18yrs 7mths
Controlled by ringer
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Czech Republic
RX 17327
>14yrs 8mths
Found dead
France
1061363
12yrs 0mths
Found dead
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckii
Finland
X-509959
12yrs 11mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Finland
V-539341
12yrs 0mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Finland
PT-30356
19yrs 8mths
Shot
Sweden
3322691
17yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritima
Sweden
4235212
20yrs 9mths
Controlled by ringer
Sweden
4316860
19yrs 8mths
Controlled by ringer
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Denmark
807017
28yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Norway
24yrs 0mths
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Limicola falcinellus
Sweden
3386241
>6yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Ruff
Philomachus pugnax
Finland
AT-8167
13yrs 11mths
Accidentally trapped (e.g. fishnets)
Sweden
6056620
12yrs 3mths
Shot
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimus
Germany
7170838
>12yrs 4mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
BV 13930
>10yrs 1mths
Found dead
Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Sweden
4104395
>16yrs 3mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
XC 34292
>16yrs 2mths
Shot
Woodcock
Scolopax rusticola
GB & Ireland
R 4516
15yrs 6mths
Shot
Sweden
6093380
>13yrs 9mths
Shot
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
GB & Ireland
EF 90838
23yrs 7mths
Ring number read in the field
The Netherlands
3288275
21yrs 11mths
Ring number read in the field
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
GB & Ireland
DS 66532
>33yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
GB & Ireland
DS 28165
>31yrs 4mths
Controlled by ringer
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
GB & Ireland
EH 49697
16yrs 1mths
Shot
Curlew
Numenius arquata
GB & Ireland
FS 40887
>31yrs 10mths
Ring number read in the field
Sweden
D 1266
31yrs 6mths
Shot
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropus
Finland
B-70005
>8yrs 7mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
DR 28508
8yrs 6mths
Shot
Redshank
Tringa totanus
Denmark
721125
>26yrs 11mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
DR 74213
>21yrs 9mths
Shot
Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis
France
GA 84137
>7yrs 1mths
Shot
Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
The Netherlands
2040963
>24yrs 5mths
Killed by man
GB & Ireland
DR 70162
>17yrs 2mths
Controlled by ringer
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
GB & Ireland
CR 63312
>11yrs 6mths
Controlled by ringer
Czech Republic
K 317972
>8yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Sweden
4035425
>11yrs 7mths
Shot
Sweden
4292108
11yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus
Finland
AT-73914
16yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Sweden
3189307
>14yrs 6mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
NV 54164
14 yrs 0mths
Controlled breeding by ringer, male
Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
GB & Ireland
XS 56243
>21yrs 5mths
Controlled by ringer
Finland
A-13503
19yrs 8mths
Shot
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Iceland
931327
9yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
GB & Ireland
NT 14346
6yrs 10mths
Ring number read in the field
Arctic Skua
Stercorarius parasiticus
Finland
ST-24110
31yrs 1mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
EH 26535
25yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer (nesting)
Long-tailed Skua
Stercorarius longicaudus
Sweden
6164551
>11yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Great Skua
Catharacta skua
GB & Ireland
HW 38116
34yrs 6mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
HW 25772
32yrs 11mths
Found dead
Mediterranean Gull
Larus melanocephalus
Greece
E 000958
22yrs 1mths
Ring number read in the field
The Netherlands
3449428
20yrs 3mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Little Gull
Larus minutus
Finland
AT-35319
>20yrs 11mths
Ring number read in the field
GB & Ireland
CE 73589
>13yrs 1mths
Found dead
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
Finland
S-049023
30yrs 7mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
EH 42857
>29yrs 6mths
Ring number read in the field
Slender-billed Gull
Larus genei
Russian Federation
E 271491
16yrs 2mths
Controlled by ringer
Audouin's Gull
Larus audouinii
Italy
T 51596
20yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Common Gull
Larus canus
Denmark
5003247
33yrs 8mths
Ring number read in the field
Finland
CT-014051
31yrs 8mths
Ring number read in the field
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
GB & Ireland
GM 21509
34yrs 10mths
Shot
Finland
HT-38864
32yrs 2mths
Ring number read in the field

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