Bird banding in Asia: Contributions, challenges, and prospects

Abstract

Bird banding is internationally recognized as one of the most useful and cost-effective methods for avian monitoring. While widely adopted in Europe and North America—where it has played a pivotal role in collecting foundational data, significantly advancing the understanding of avian demography, migration, population dynamics, and conservation—bird banding in Asia lags considerably behind. Given Asia's rich avian diversity and the severe threats the birds face, there is an urgent need to promote increased bird banding as part of a strategy to effectively conserve both resident and migratory birds and protect their habitats across the region. However, information on the overall status of bird banding in Asia remains scarce, limiting the development of future initiatives in this field. To address this gap, based on integrative methods of banding data analysis, a literature review, and a questionnaire survey across 16 major Asian countries, we delineate the history and status of bird banding across the region, and review how bird banding efforts contributed to the collection of standardized data supporting avian conservation and research. We identify the key challenges facing bird banding in Asia, with a focus on the lack of legislation and policy support, shortage of trained personnel, and incomplete bird banding network. As a response, we indicate the prospects for the future development of Asian bird banding, highlighting priorities of establishing clear and consistent protocols, training and recruiting qualified banders, building and connecting banding networks, and expanding the educational and outreach role of banding stations. We offer new insights into promoting Asian bird banding as an indispensable bird monitoring tool in the challenges of avian conservation at both the flyway and global scales.