How to read a pigeon ring number

A ring number usually tells you three things: who issued the ring, the year the bird was born, and which bird it is.

The three parts

• Who issued it. Letters for the country or organisation, or a number for a national club or district.
• The year. Usually two digits, sometimes four: the year the bird was hatched.
• The bird's number. The serial number, unique for that issuer and year.

Some examples

Layouts vary by country, and the spaces and dashes often differ between the ring and the paperwork. These are typical:

• NL 02 1921103: Netherlands, 2002, bird 1921103.
• BEL 01 4143048: Belgium, 2001, bird 4143048.
• DV 99 02098 802: Germany, 1999, club number 02098, bird 802.
• GB26B70751: Great Britain, 2026, with a letter and serial after the year.
• AU 2024 ABC 1234: American Racing Pigeon Union, 2024, club letters, bird 1234.

Found a ringed pigeon?

A tired racing pigeon usually only needs water, some grain and a rest. The letters on the ring tell you which national organisation to contact, and that organisation can usually trace the owner.

Why it matters in your records

A ring is a bird's identity, so typing it the same way every time avoids duplicates. MyPigeons.net ignores spaces and capitals when it checks whether a ring is already in your loft, and picks up the year from the ring.

Related

• How to read a pigeon pedigree
• Pigeon pedigree software