Colour marking of migratory waterbirds has a long history in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF), with birds being marked using rings, bands, neck collars, and leg flags for more than 100 years. Over time, colour marking has expanded across the Flyway and has become an important tool for understanding bird movements, migration routes, and connections between sites.
As marking activities have increased, so has the need for coordination. Keeping track of marking schemes and colour combinations helps avoid duplication and ensures that marked birds can be reliably identified when they are observed or recaptured.
The Colour Marking Task Force aims to strengthen this coordination across the Flyway. By bringing together researchers, banding programmes, and other relevant stakeholders, the Task Force promotes the exchange of information, supports consistent colour-marking approaches, and helps make the resulting data more useful for research and monitoring. Ultimately, its goal is “to enhance flyway research and monitoring activities, build knowledge and promote exchange of information on waterbirds and their habitats through the coordination of colour marking of migratory waterbirds.” (MOP12 Decision 10, Appendix 2)
Membership
The membership of EAAFP Colour Marking Task Force is open to:
1. National bird banding/ringing offices of EAAFP Government Partners or other government agencies controlling capture and marking of birds in those Partner countries without a national banding/ringing authority.
2. The designated representative of each EAAFP taxonomic Working Group and Task Force.
3. A member of the Secretariat Science Unit.
4. Other experts as required.
Documentaion
