BirdTagger automates putting rings on wild birds
StartupRealities No 47 BirdTagger is a producer of automated bird ringing equipment installed on bird feeders. The bird-tagger fastens a band or ring around a bird's leg while it is feeding or resting at a feeder, without the need for catching the wild bird. The company participates in large-scale scientific studies and some military research projects. TECHNOLOGY BirdTagger uses sets of dozens of tension springs installed on the rim of a bird feeder on which birds step while feeding. The activation mechanism resembles that of a mouse trap: the weight of the bird's leg on the rim releases a single spring, which wraps around the bird's leg and clasps tightly on both ends to form a sealed ring or band . The spring-based ring contains an RFID tag that responds to signals from transponders on the ground. The rim mechanism can sense when a bird already has an RFID ring installed and does not release a new spring on birds that have already been banded. The metal spring in the...