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:
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos medius
Hungary
XX 6641
7yrs 4mths
Controlled by ringer
Czech Republic
K 53328
6yrs 6mths
Controlled by ringer
White-backed Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos
Finland
A-554077
>15yrs 11mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos minor
Sweden
A 35019
9yrs 10mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Switzerland
E 893552
7yrs 3mths
Controlled by ringer
Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides tridactylus
Finland
A-587491
11yrs 3mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Finland
A-275614
>6yrs 3mths
Shot
Crested Lark
Galerida cristata
Germany
H 685798
11yrs 7mths
Found dead
Woodlark
Lullula arborea
GB & Ireland
VC 1823-
5yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer (nesting)
Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Czech Republic
M 107989
10yrs 0mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
BN 21415
>9yrs 5mths
Controlled by ringer
Sand Martin
Riparia riparia
Sweden
AR 45926
>10yrs 0mths
Found dead (road casualty)
Hungary
E 04609
>8yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
GB & Ireland
LK 620
11yrs 1mths
Found dead
Denmark
10yrs 11mths
House Martin
Delichon urbica
Sweden
1519863
>15yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Germany
G 68114
14yrs 6mths
Shot
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialis
Czech Republic
Z 347042
>8yrs 9mths
Found dead
Sweden
2452196
>8yrs 2mths
Shot
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis
Czech Republic
Z 410138
>8yrs 9mths
Found dead
Norway
7yrs 9mths
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosus
Sweden
AK 74816
>10yrs 11mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Sweden
AS 77028
10yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
Sweden
2407355
>8yrs 10mths
Found dead (wires)
GB & Ireland
A 452699
8yrs 9mths
Shot
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Germany
BO 87112
>8yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Czech Republic
M 437773
>7yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Czech Republic
N 212046
>13yrs 8mths
Controlled by ringer
GB & Ireland
KN 38306
>12yrs 4mths
Found dead
Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulus
Czech Republic
R 69674
>13yrs 6mths
Found dead
Sweden
3292355
>6yrs 7mths
Found dead (window)
Dipper
Cinclus cinclus
Finland
PT-34971
10yrs 7mths
Controlled by ringer
Sweden
4132239
10yrs 4mths
Controlled by ringer
Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
GB & Ireland
9B 2979
6yrs 9mths
Found dead
Czech Republic
N 16485
5yrs 5mths
Found dead
Dunnock
Prunella modularis
Denmark
9A 59942
20yrs 10mths
Found dead (fresh)
GB & Ireland
BW 170
>11yrs 8mths
Found dead
Alpine Accentor
Prunella collaris
Slovenia
K 69
>7yrs 8mths
Controlled by ringer
Switzerland
N 91002
>7yrs 5mths
Found dead
Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Czech Republic
Z 364896
>19yrs 4mths
Found dead (fresh)
Poland
HA 240125
17yrs 3mths
Killed by man
Thrush Nightingale
Luscinia luscinia
Germany
80134942
>8yrs 10mths
Found dead
Hungary
Y 95389
8yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Spain
2498771
>10yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Slovakia
M 986504
>9yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Bluethroat
Luscinia s. cyanecula
Spain
N 0074112
11yrs 5mths
Controlled by ringer
Sweden
2625610
>8yrs 10mths
Found dead (window)
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
The Netherlands
S 128312
>10yrs 2mths
Killed by man
Czech Republic
M 5567
6yrs 7mths
Found dead
Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Denmark
9H 40474
10yrs 3mths
Killed by man
Czech Republic
N 1091
>10yrs 2mths
Shot
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
Czech Republic
T 389922
>6yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Switzerland
548075
6yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Stonechat
Saxicola torquata
Germany
9X 36806
>8yrs 10mths
Found dead
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Sweden
1EE42448
10yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer (nesting)
GB & Ireland
VR 22154
8yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatus
Spain
3015231
9yrs 1mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
CH 15361
>7yrs 3mths
Found dead
Blackbird
Turdus merula
Germany
7561680
21yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Denmark
18yrs 4mths
Fieldfare
Turdus pilaris
Finland
A-44583
18yrs 1mths
Shot
Norway
12yrs 10mths
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
GB & Ireland
CP 71448
>17yrs 8mths
Found dead
Denmark
17yrs 6mths
Redwing
Turdus iliacus
Finland
P-337619
17yrs 4mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
BV 03757
13yrs 2mths
Shot
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorus
Switzerland
768038
21yrs 3mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
CP 00285
>12yrs 3mths
Found dead
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cetti
GB & Ireland
KV 98586
7yrs 6mths
Controlled by ringer
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naevia
GB & Ireland
A 889049
5yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
River Warbler
Locustella fluviatilis
Hungary
N 89384
>6yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Savi's Warbler
Locustella luscinoides
Hungary
P 45251
9yrs 9mths
Controlled by ringer
Slovakia
T 589040
7yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Moustached Warbler
Acrocephalus melanopogon
Hungary
Y 13562
>11yrs 3mths
Controlled by ringer
Hungary
6Y 5329
>10yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Denmark
11yrs 10mths
Finland
V-637074
10yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus dumetorum
Finland
J-680164
>7yrs 9mths
Controlled by ringer
Marsh Warbler
Acrocephalus palustris
Sweden
AX 18398
>8yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Switzerland
226351
>8yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceus
GB & Ireland
E 872034
>14yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Sweden
AL 01647
12yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Great Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Hungary
A 94706
>10yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Germany
80532535
>10yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Melodious Warbler
Hippolais polyglotta
Spain
525058
8yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Spain
M 36622
>8yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer
Icterine Warbler
Hippolais icterina
Germany
9G 77549
>10yrs 10mths
Shot
Czech Republic
T 222746
10yrs 1mths
Found injured (released)
Sardinian Warbler
Sylvia melanocephala
Spain
146809
8yrs 4mths
Controlled by ringer
Barred Warbler
Sylvia nisoria
Sweden
2310578
11yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Sweden
3289032
>7yrs 10mths
Controlled by ringer

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