last updated on 16-12-2023

GREAT CORMORANT
Colour-ringing Projects in Europe and Middle East

Arranged by RING STYLE

Style 1h
Style 1/1
Style 2
Style 3
Style 4
One ring without inscription
Two rings with inscription
Two or more rings with and without inscription
Two or more rings without inscription

Style 4 -
Colour rings with a four character inscription

Ring colour	Inscription colour	Style	Type	Leg	No. ringed	Years	Project leaders (coordinator)	Ringing scheme
Orange	Black		4	L, R	547 >100 <20	Po Delta 1997-2007 Lombardia 2005-2007 Friuli Venezia Giulia 2010	S. Volponi A. Boto B. Cimador	Italy
White	Black		4	?	50+	1983-91 2000	P.T. Rusanen	Finland
White	Black	or	4			2022	White rings with black inscription, starting with J followed by three letters / numbers. Alphanumeric codes codes Jxxx or Jnnn ring reporting adress www.ringmerking.no, post@ringmerking.no contact adress Morten Helberg morten.helberg@birdlife.no	Norway
Yellow	Black		4		1000+	2017, 2020 (c)	Prof. M. Stubbe annegret.stubbe@zoologie.uni-halle.de Christof.Herrmann Christof.Herrmann@lung.mv-regierung.de	Germany
Yellow	Black		4		1000	2013-2018	Ingo Ludwichowski (NABU-Wallnau) Results of ringing and resighting and webcam looking at the colony in Wallnau	Germany
Yellow	Black		4		1000	2019-2021	Ingo Ludwichowski (NABU-Wallnau)	Germany
Yellow	Black		4		ca 1000	2022-2024	Ingo Ludwichowski (NABU-Wallnau)	Germany
Yellow	Black	L001...L999	4			2024	Ingo Ludwichowski (NABU-Wallnau)	Germany
Yellow	Black		4		2007 to 08/03/2008: 64	2007-2008 (a)	J. Aymerich (Group d'Anellament de Celldetenes - Osona)	Spain
Yellow	Black		4	L		2016 (b)	Doñana Biological Station Bird Ringing Office http://anillamiento.ebd.csic.es e-mail: anillamiento@ebd.csic.es	Spain
Red	White		4	R		2018 ...	Lithuanian Bird Ringing Centre likcentras@gmail.com	Lithuania

(a) The project is aimed to study movement of ADULT birds; the first letter is always S, followed by a combinationof the of the following letters: A, B, C, D, F, H, J, K, L, M, N, P

(b) The project involve ringing nestlings using code like: SRAA-SRZZ, SSAA-SSZZ, STAA-STZZ, SUAA-SUZZ, SVAA-SVZZ, SWAA-SWZZ, SXAA-SXZZ

(c) Activities are co-ordinated with Dr. Köppen and almost 1,000 cormorants were ringed in Mongolia in 2017 with yellow rings with a numerical codes (1001 - 2000). In 2020 new ringing will be carried on using codes from 2000 to 3000.

Style 3 -
Colour rings with a three character inscription (rarely combined with a small plain colour ring without inscriptions)
See also the Old UK and Old Danish combinations (1980s and early 1990s projects) from which there are no longer reports of birds

Ring colour	Inscription colour	Style	Type	Leg	No. ringed	Years	Note	Project leaders (coordinator)	Ringing scheme
Black	White		3	L, R	157	2000		T. Bregnballe	Denmark
Black	White		3	?	784	2010-2012	The colour-ring project was stopped because in 2013 all cormorants moved from the islands to nest in nearby trees.	report to the Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204 Sempach ring@vogelwarte.ch	Switzerland
Black	White		3	L, R	345	2008-2014	Colour ringing carried out in four colonies. Letter so far used at the beginning of the code: A, C, E, K (other may be used in future) Letters used in second and third positions are: A, C, E, H, J, K, L, N, P, R, T, U, V, X, Y, Z	Project leader Morten Helberg morten.helberg@ibv.uio.no report to www.ringmerking.no/cr	Norway
Blue	White		3	L (1998) R ('97, '99)	84	1996-1999	Combinations start always with letter A; 2nd and 3rd letters may be: A, C, E, H, J, K, L, N, P, R, S, T, U, V, Y	P. Musil R. Martincová	Czech Republic
Blue	White		3	R	>3,258	2009-2023	Combinations used are: AA? - AZ?; BA? - BZ?; CA? - CZ?; EA? - EM?; ET? - EZ?; FA? - FZ?; HA? - HY?; JA?-JY?; KC?, where ? can be: A, B, C, E, F, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z	Estonian Ringing Centre matsalu@envir.ee	Estonia
Blue	White		3	?		2012	Combinations used are: A01, A02 ...A99 C01, C02 ... C99 ...	Karlis Millers	Latvia
Green	Black		3	R ?	ca. 200 yr ca.150 yr	1989-91 1992-94		D.J.Andrews (S. Newson)	UK
LIME (pale green)	Black		3	left	840	2006-2009	code 000 - 997 example (see also the Dutch example)	M. Antoniazza report sightings to the Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204 Sempach ring@vogelwarte.ch	Switzerland
Green	White		3	?	?	2023->	Project on Puffin Island, Wales. Codes assigned to the project 000-499	Stephen Dodd sg.dodd@yahoo.com puffin.island.cormorants@googlemail.com	UK
Green	White		3	?	?	2015->	Mid and last letters range between A and Z	Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White	or	3	R	352 in 5 colonies	2005-2012	This project is a collaboration between Aves (http://www.aves.be/index.php?id=1391), DEMNA (Département d'étude du milieu naturel et agricole - Wallonia) and INBO (Instituut voor natuur- en bosonderzoek - Flanders). to report an observation: https://submit.cr-birding.org/projects/36/	Jérémy Simar and Koen Devos	Belgium
Green	White		3	?	50 / year	2006	Project on Puffin Island, Wales. Combinations used: first CAA ... CZZ	Sara Bone puffin.island.cormorants@googlemail.com	UK
Green	White		3	?	?	2015		Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White					1993-1995		J. Jezierski	Poland
Green	White					1995-1998		J. Jezierski	Poland
Green	White		3			2015	Mid and last letters range between A and Z	Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White	or	3	?	?	2013	Mid and last letters range between A and Z	Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White		3			2015	Mid and last letters range between A and Z	Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White					1999-2001, 2004		S. Bzoma - J. Jezierski	Poland
Green	White					2002-2008		S. Bzoma - K. Kaczmarek	Poland
Green	White					2005-2008		K. Kaczmarek	Poland
Green	White					2006-2009		S. Bzoma - J. Jezierski - G. Kiljan - K. Kaczmarek	Poland
Green	White					2007-2008	with the exclusion of codes: from V W A to VZA used in Finland and from VPA and V V A used in Estonia see below	K. Kaczmarek	Poland
Green	White	or	3	?	50 / year	2001-	10 yrs project at Denny Island. Combinations used: first PAA ... PZZ then SAA ... SZZ	Richard Clarke chykembro2@aol.com	UK
Green	White	... ...	3	R		2007	Combinations used are: from V P A - V P Z to V V A - V V Z and from W A A to W E N	S. van Rijn	Estonia
Green	White	... ...	3	R		2007	Combinations used are: from V W A - V W Z to V Z A - V Z Z and W J A - W J Z	Finnish Ringing Centre	Finland
Green	White	...	3	R		2007	Combinations used are: from W E P - W E Z to W H A - W H Z	S. van Rijn A. Gaginskaya	Russia
Green	White		3			2015	Mid and last letters range between A and Z	Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White		3			2015	Mid and last letters range between A and Z	Ioana Damoc (Cobzaru) ioana.cobzaru@ibiol.ro ioana402@yahoo.com	Romania
Green	White		3	?	50 / year	2015	Project on Puffin Island, Wales.Combinations used: first ZAA ... ZZZ	Stephen Dodd sg.dodd@yahoo.com puffin.island.cormorants@googlemail.com	UK
Green	White		3	L, R	1,242	1999-2000		T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
Green	White		3	L, R	1,245	2000-2002		T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
Green	White		3	L, (R only few)	1,595	2001-2006		T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
Mauve-pink	Black		3	L	1500	1999		(V. Siochin) N. Baccetti	(Ukraine) Italy
Orange	Black		3	L		2021-...	ringing location: Cheshire, UK used codes are: 001, 002 ... 300 ... 599	Kieran Foster kieranfoster@yahoo.co.uk	UK
Orange	Black		3	?	?	2001-	see below for lastest series used	Jez Blackburn jez.blackburn@bto.org	UK
Orange	Black	or	3	L		2004 -	Project at Abberton Reservoir, near Colchester, Essex codes start with C followed by 2 letters or by 1 letter and 1 number latest series: David Dutton: CT or CV + letter or number	Chas Holt - chasholt99@gmail.com	UK
Orange	Black		3	L, R	30	2013-14	West Cornwall Ringing Group code starts with T (e.g. TAA...TZZ)	markyjee@gmail.com	UK
Red	White		3	L, R	?	1989-91		T. Menke	Germany
Red	White		3	?	?	?		T. Menke	Germany
Red	White		3	?	?	2012-2014	code used from 2012 on ...	T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
Red	White		3	L	1,712	2003-2004 (2005 few)	Codes used in Denmark were: AA1-PH7 in 2003 PH8-VJ0 in 2004 (2005)	T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
Red	White		3	?	100	2003	Codes with letters CL, CN, CP, CR, CS, CT, CU, CV, EA and EC used in Norway. Note that other letter were used in Denmark	Å.S. Fredriksen	Norway
Red	White		3	?	279	2004	Combinations ranging from A1A-C0V were used in 2004 and will continue from E1A in 2005	Å.S. Fredriksen	Norway
Red	White		3	L	113	2006-2008	1AA - 3AT in 2006 0-9 KA - 0-9 KV (140) 0-9 LA - 0-9 LV (140) 0-9 NA - 0-9 NV (128) 0-9 PA - 0-9 PV (140)	T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
White	Black	or or	3	L, R	4,503	1988-97		T. Bregnballe	Denmark
White	Black		3	L, R	1,721	1997-2002		T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
White	Black		3	L, R	118	2002-2003	Combinations ranging from 1AA-0AT have been used so far	T. Bregnballe Jacob Sterup	Denmark
White	Black		3	L, R	196	1983-85		P. Mayewski	Poland
White	Black		3			2012->	New project promoted by the Evros Delta Management Agency starting in spring 2012	Yanis Fakriadis	Greece
White	Black		3			2016->	New project starting in spring 2016 codes range from AAA to BZZ	Peter Szinai szinai@freemail.hu	Hungary
White	Green		3	?	?	1998	see here some results	Raymond Duncan	UK
White	Red	or	3	L	374	2011-20xx	Project carried on in Ireland - White ring with red (3 character) vertical codes (left Leg) and a BTO metal ring on the right leg. Combinations used for the project carrid on in Ireland are a mix of letters and numbers but all rings used in Ireland start with a letter from A to L. First birds ringed in June 2011	Tom Kealy kealyfab@gmail.com t	UK
White	Red	or	3	L	?	2011 -20xx	The combinations used are a mix of letters and numbers but all rings start with one of the following letters: N, P, R, S, T, U, X, Y or Z Contact: Mark Fitzpatrick Website: manxringinggroup.blogspot.co.uk Email: manxrg@gmail.com Details, pictures etc.: go to the website for details of projects and photos of some birds		UK
Yellow	Black		3	?	?	?	The inscription numbers are indicating the year of birth and the breeding colony the birds stem from but not the different individuals themselves	A. Siefke	Germany
Yellow	Black		3	L, R	500	1985-91		U. Koeppen	Germany
Yellow	Black		3	?	165	2008-2009		( S. Bzoma )	Poland
Yellow	Black		3	?	?	2011	three letters, combinatins used: from AFH to AUA	Jacek.Jezierski	Poland
Yellow	Black		3	L	239 (2009)	2009-12	three letters, first could be: A or B or E or F (later on also or H or J or K)	( S. Bzoma )	Poland
Yellow	Black		3			2012	First letter is always a C	Jim Lennon jjlennon17@gmail.com	UK
Yellow	Black		3	L, R	?	2010 -	Project of Rutland Water ringing group. Combinations always use a combination of letters (starting at the end of the alphabet) and numbers	Garry Barker gbarker2@btinternet.com	UK

* Project info: from 2009 on, nestlings and adults at breeding sites exclusively, in federal states of:
- Brandenburg: 150- 200 Ind./year (max. 1.000 Ind./5 years),
- Saxony: 150 - 200 Ind. / year (max. 1.000 Ind. / 5 years),
- Saxony-Anhalt: 100 – 150 BP / year (max. 700 / 5 years),
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern : 150 – 200 Ind. / year (max. 1.000 Ind. / 5 years).

inscription code: three-digit letter-number in 2009 till 2010: starting from 001–999, later 11A, 22A etc.

Style 2 -
Colour rings with a two character inscription (with or without bands)
See also the Old UK and Old Danish combinations (1980s and early 1990s projects) from which there are no longer reports of birds

Ring colour	Inscription colour	Style	Type	Leg	No. ringed	Years	Project leader/coordinator	Ringing scheme
Blue / White	white / blue		2 bicolor		50 78	2013 2014	Matti Åhlund, matti.ahlund@telia.com Tommy Järås, birdcenter@swipnet.se	Sweden
Black	White		2 cb	L, R	?	1988-91	T. Menke	Germany
Black	White	or or	2 (a)	?	267	2001-	Å. S.Fredriksen	Norway
Black	White		2	?	-	2012 - ... New project to be commenced in the Channel Islands in the 2012 breeding season	John Horton - Alderney Bird Observatory formerly P. K. Veron / GuerneseyGulls	Jersey
Blue	White		2 (b)	R	30	2000-	P. Musil R. Martincová	Czech Republic
Blue	White		2 (c)	?	?	2001-	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Blue	White	or or	2 ob	L, R	?	1995-99 2000-02	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Blue	White		2 cb	L, R	?	1996 -	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK	see an example
Green	White	or	2	?	ca. 250	1997-99	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Green	White		2 cb	R	ca. 450	1993-2001	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Green	White	or	2 cb	?	ca. 250	1999-2001	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Green	White		2	?	?	2015	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
LIME (pale green)	Black		2			2007-	S. van Rijn	Netherlands	photo by: Jean-François Le Bihan http://jeanfrancois.lebihan.free.fr
Orange	White		2	R L	?	1992 1993	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Orange	Black		2	L	?	1994 1996-1997	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Orange	White		2	L	some	1997	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Orange	Black		2 ob	L	?	1998	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Orange	Black		2 cb	L	?	?	BTO colour.ringing@bto.org	UK
Orange	Black		2 dcb			2010 - (codes range from A \|\| A to Z \|\| Z)	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Red	White		2	L/R	> 500	1996-97 (left tarsus) / 2016-2018 (right tarsus)	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Red	White	or	2	L	ca. 300	1998-99	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Red	White		2 cb	L	ca. 400	1999-2000	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Red	White	or	2 cb	L	ca. 300	2001-2002	S. van Rijn	Netherlands	see an example
Red	White		2 cb	L, R	?	1988-91	T. Menke	Germany
Red	White		2	R		The project will start in 2023 at Het Vogelmeer, Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland, Bloemendaal, Noord-Holland, Nederland. The following codes will be used 2A-2Z and 4A-4Z	Erik Maassen erikijmuiden @ hotmail.com	Netherlands
White	Red		2 dcb	?	?	1988-91	T. Menke	Germany
White	Black		2	L	200	1983-84	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
White	Black		2 cb	L	200	1987-88	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
White	Black	or or or	2 or 2 cb	L	ca. 500	1991-95	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Yellow	Black		2	R	200	1985-86	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Yellow	Black		2	D	ca. 50	2003	A. Barati	Iran
Yellow	Black		2 cb	R	200	1989-90	S. van Rijn	Netherlands
Yellow	Black	or or or	2 or 2 cb	R	ca. 500	1991-95	S. van Rijn	Netherlands

(a) Project of the SE Norwegian cormorant ringing group "Åge Sten Fredriksen". intersting about 288 individuals. Used codes were: 00 -> 90, 09 -> 99, A1 -> Z1, A9 -> Z9, 1A -> 1B, 9A -> 9B. Codes that can be read from down-up and up-down, making confusion, have been excluded (e.g. 09, 06, 90, 99).

(b) Combinations start with letter A or B; 2nd letter may be: A, B, C, D, E, H, I, J, K, O, P, S, T, U, X, Z.

Style 1 h -
Colour rings with single horizontal inscription
See also the Old UK combinations (1980s and eraly 1990s projects) from which there are no longer reports of birds

Ring colour	Inscription colour	Style	Type	Leg	No. ringed	Years	Project leader (coordinator)	Ringing scheme
Red	White		1 b	?	?	?	T. Menke	Germany

Style 1 / 1 -
Two rings of different colour each bearing a single character (vertical) inscription
See also the Old UK combinations (1980s and eraly 1990s projects) from which there are no longer reports of birds

Ring colour	Inscription colour	Style	Type	Leg	No. ringed	Years	Project leader/coordinator	Ringing scheme
White +White	Black + Black		1/1	R	66	2005	Dagys Mindaugas	Lithuania
Green + White	White + White		1/1	R	66	2005-2008	Dagys Mindaugas	Lithuania
Red + White	White + Black		1/1	R	66	2005-2008	Dagys Mindaugas	Lithuania

* Lithuanian projects:
code used for the below ring (A): A, B, C
code used for the upper ring (B): A, B, C, E, F, H, I, L, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y

COMBINATION OF
TWO OR MORE COLOUR RINGS
WITH AND WITHOUT INSCRIPTION

LEFT leg			RIGHT leg
Ring colours	Ring style		Ring colours	Ring style		No. ringed	Years	Project leader	Ringing scheme



		M + Ps + Ps			Ps + 2cb		2002 2003	G. Debout	France
		M + Ps + Ps		or	Ps + 2cb or Ps + 3cb		2002 2013	G. Debout	France

Colour-ringing is carried out in two P. c. carbo norman colonies. Ring combinations include: on the left leg a metal ring of the Museum of Paris plus a single colour-ring; on the right leg a colour-ring plus an inscripted white or blue ring (depending on the colony). Inscription include a letter (C or M depending on the colony), a central vertical band, and a number (2, 3 and so on depending on the year of ringing).

ONE COLOUR RING WITHOUT INSCRIPTION

Style Ps or Pl -
Small or large plain single rings without inscription sometimes combined with the metal ring
See also the Old UK combinations (1980s and eraly 1990s projects) from which there are no longer reports of birds

Ring colour	Style	Leg	No. ringed	Years	Project leader (coordinator)	Ringing scheme
	Ps	L	50	1980	L. Linden	Sweden
	Ps	L	195	1981-85	L. Linden	Sweden
?	Ps	?	?	1986-91	L. Linden	Sweden

TWO OR MORE COLOUR RINGS WITHOUT INSCRIPTION

Style Ps/Ps or Ps/Ps/Ps plus M/Ps
A combination of two or three small plain rings (without inscription) on the same leg (right or left) and of a metal ring, or one or two small colour ring plus a metal ring, on the other leg

Used colours	Style		Leg	No. ringed	Years	Project leaders	Ringing scheme	Example
		Ps/Ps + Ps/M	L, R	595	from 1989 to 1993	L. Marion	France
		Ps/Ps/Ps + M	L, R	409	1996, 2000, 2003	L. Marion	France
		Ps/Ps + Ps/Ps/ M	L, R	1400	from 1992 to 1995 from 1997 to 2002 2004	L. Marion	France
		Ps/Ps/Ps + Ps/ M	L, R	629	2005 from 2007 to 2012	L. Marion	France

GREAT CORMORANT Colour-ringing Projects in Europe and Middle East

Arranged by RING STYLE

GREAT CORMORANT
Colour-ringing Projects in Europe and Middle East