Endorsements

Banding Authorities are endorsed with the capture methods for which the Authority-holder has been assessed as competent. Banding Authority cards will carry one of the following endorsements:

Nil (trainee bander)
Rehabilitated birds/bats only (Level I)
Basics (not mist- or cannon-nets) (Level II)
Mist-nets (Level III(A))
Cannon-nets (birds only) (Level III(B))
Mist-nets and cannon-nets (birds only) (Level IV)

Endorsements are renewed along with the Banding Authority and are not intended to be held in perpetuity once granted. They should relate to projects that the bander intends to be involved with.

Nil: Trainee Banders

C-class (Trainee) banders may not hold any trapping endorsements.

Level I: Rehabilitated birds/bats only

Banders holding the Level I endorsement may band birds/bats rehabilitated following sickness or injury as part of an approved banding project. Level I endorsement does not infer that the bander is competent to treat the animal's sickness or injury, nor does it include any methods of wild capture. Banders may require a permit from the State or Territory fauna agency to keep birds/bats during the rehabilitation period and it is the bander's responsibility to determine when such permits are required. The minimum qualification for this level is 20 birds/bats processed under supervision. Referee reports are required to progress to higher levels of endorsement.

Level II: Basic capture methods

This endorsement includes rehabilitation banding as well as all capture methods except mist-nets and cannon-nets. This endorsement is typically required by banders who band

nestling birds
birds that can be captured by hand (eg shearwaters, penguins, boobies)
birds that can be trapped with hand-held or thrown nets (eg albatross)
birds captured using hoop nets, cage traps, and clap-nets
raptors
bats

The minimum requirements for this level are:

using raptor traps - 20 birds processed under supervision
using other methods - 100 birds/bats processed under supervision.

Traps such as this Bal-Chatri are used to catch raptors.

Level III(A): Mist-nets

This endorsement covers the use of mist-nets as well as rehabilitation banding and basic capture methods. Use of mist-nets requires considerable tuition from experienced operators.

The minimum requirements are:

capture and processing of 100 birds/bats using mist-nets under the supervision of qualified banders
reports from 2 qualified banders confirming that the applicant is sufficiently experienced and competent in the use of mist-nets.

Level III(B): Cannon-nets

This endorsement covers capture of birds (not bats) using explosively-propelled trapping devices such as cannon-nets, rocket-nets and nonnacs. Banders who will lead a cannon-netting operation are required to hold this endorsement (other banders who assist require Level II or Level III(A) endorsement). The endorsement also covers banding of rehabilitated birds and use of basic capture methods but is NOT an automatic endorsement to use mist-nets. This endorsement will not be given readily and applicants will be expected to show proficiency in all aspects of the use of explosively propelled trapping devices, particularly the safety practices.

The minimum qualifications for Level III(B) are:

capture and processing of 500 birds using cannon-nets etc under the supervision of qualified banders
reports from 2 qualified banders confirming that the applicant is sufficiently experienced and competent in the use of explosively propelled trapping devices such as cannon-nets.
A permit to operate an explosive device or to handle explosives may be required from the State or Territory government. Enquiries on this matter should be directed to the relevant State or Territory fauna agency.

Level IV: Mist-nets and cannon-nets

This level of endorsement incorporates all methods of capture dealt with in Levels I, II III(A), and III(B).