Device for removing metal closed rings of bird rings
By designing a device with clamps and handles, and utilizing the synergistic effect of wedge clamps and pointed tips, the opening of the bird's metal ring is gradually enlarged, solving the problems of inconvenience and injury in existing technologies. This achieves fast and safe removal of bird rings, ensuring operational safety and the health of the birds.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-06
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies make it difficult to quickly and safely remove the metal closure ring from birds, and can easily cause injury and stress to birds, increasing the risk to operators.
A device consisting of a pliers head and a handle was designed. The inner wall of the pliers head has a groove that matches the metal ring. The pointed tip is used to pry open the opening, and the wedge-shaped clamp is used to enlarge the ring opening. The handle is covered with non-slip rubber for easy carrying. The ring opening is gradually enlarged through leverage to avoid damaging the bird's tarsus.
It enables the rapid and safe removal of bird bands, shortens operation time, reduces bird stress response and the risk of human attack, improves work efficiency, and protects the physiological health of birds.
Smart Images

Figure CN223968457U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bird banding auxiliary tools, specifically to a device for removing a metal closed ring from a bird band. Background Technology
[0002] Since 1983, my country has widely used specially marked metal leg bands (made of copper-nickel alloy and No. 2 rust-resistant aluminum) in bird migration tracking, with 15 different specifications developed to suit different bird species. As of August 2018, approximately 841 bird species, totaling 3.64 million individuals, were banded in China. A properly worn metal leg band fits snugly against the bird's tarsus, with only a tiny gap allowing for smooth sliding; the band itself is essentially a closed, seamless structure.
[0003] As bird banding work continues, there have been some situations where bird bands must be removed. For example, if trackers need to be installed on recovered birds (secondarily captured) during subsequent release, the bird band and tracker cannot be retained simultaneously due to research standards and equipment wearing requirements, so the metal bird band must be removed. In addition, mis-banding also occurs from time to time.
[0004] Traditional methods of removing bird bands have significant drawbacks. On the one hand, the operation is time-consuming, typically taking 5-30 minutes. This keeps birds in close proximity for extended periods, easily triggering stress responses and potentially leading to death. It also increases the risk of operators being attacked by birds (especially medium to large birds). On the other hand, small and medium-sized birds have slender tarsi (often similar to or larger than the thickness of a ballpoint pen refill), while metal bands are hard. When using traditional tools to remove the bands, operators often struggle to control the force precisely, frequently causing accidental injury to the birds and hindering bird research and conservation efforts.
[0005] A search revealed that patent number 2020211407101 discloses a device for facilitating the assembly and disassembly of bird rings, comprising a body, a pressure block, and a screw. The body includes a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate, and a third connecting plate disposed at both ends of one side of the first connecting plate. The second and third connecting plates are arranged in parallel. A groove is provided on the end face of the third connecting plate near the second connecting plate. The pressure block is disposed between the second and third connecting plates and is cuboid in shape. A groove is provided on the end face of the pressure block near the third connecting plate, which mates with the first groove. A screw is vertically disposed on the end face of the pressure block near the second connecting plate and is rotatably fixedly connected thereto. The end of the screw away from the pressure block passes through the second connecting plate and is slidably connected thereto with a long rod. The long rod is used to drive the screw to rotate, thereby pushing the pressure block to slide. However, this device is very inconvenient to operate when the metal ring is on the bird's tarsus. It is more suitable when the ring is not on the bird's tarsus, allowing the O-type bird ring to be removed into a C-type. In reality, the gap between the closed metal bird ring and the bird's tarsus is very small, and cutting it would damage the bird's tarsus. In addition, the prolonged contact increases the risk of birds dying from stress. Patent No. 200720116907.X discloses a bird ring auxiliary removal pliers. It includes left and right clamps, with a nested central shaft in the middle of the clamps and a spring below the central shaft. The top of the left and right clamps has protrusions, and the sides of the protrusions are plate-shaped. The structure of this device cannot remove the bird ring. The plate-shaped protrusions on the top of the left and right clamps are inserted into the bird ring interface, but the plate-shaped protrusions cannot open the closed bird ring, and the device has no other structure to open the closed bird ring. Patent No. 200720116908.4 discloses a bird ring installation and removal pliers. It consists of a handle and upper and lower jaws connected in the middle. The handle and jaws are connected by a central axis. The upper jaw has a wedge-shaped notch at the top and at least two semi-circular jaws in the middle. The lower jaw has a large arc-shaped jaw in the middle. This device is only suitable for AB-type bird rings, but AB-type bird rings are only suitable for very small birds. In reality, very small birds generally do not need to have their bird rings removed. Research subjects are generally small to medium-sized birds, such as blackbirds and larger. This tool can only cut a slit in the closed bird ring corresponding to small to medium-sized birds, but it cannot open the bird ring and remove it completely without damaging the bird.
[0006] A search revealed that there is currently no readily portable, easy-to-operate, and readily applicable device for quickly removing bird banding metal closures. Utility Model Content
[0007] In view of the above technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a portable, easy-to-use and widely applicable device for quickly removing bird banding metal closed rings, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.
[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:
[0009] A device for removing a closed metal ring from a bird band includes a clamp head and handles. The clamp head is connected to the front ends of the left and right handles via a central axis. The clamp head is symmetrically double-arc shaped, and the inner wall is provided with a hollow groove matching the diameter of the bird band metal ring. The front part of the clamp head is provided with a pointed tip. The rear ends of the left and right handles are also symmetrically provided with wedge-shaped clamps, which are in a triangular tip-to-tip position.
[0010] Furthermore, the pointed tip is bent inward and blunted to precisely pry open the band opening without injuring the bird.
[0011] Furthermore, the two opposing cross-sections of the left and right wedge-shaped clamps form an angle of less than 180 degrees. They are concave in shape while remaining on the same horizontal plane, preventing injury to the bird's tarsus during operation when making an incision perpendicular to the bird's ring.
[0012] Furthermore, the handle is covered with an anti-slip rubber layer to prevent the operator's hand from slipping during operation.
[0013] Furthermore, for ease of storage and carrying, a hanging loop is provided at the end of the handle.
[0014] The method for removing the metal closure ring of a bird band using a device includes the following steps:
[0015] S1 Open the left and right handles, place the triangular tips of the two wedge clips on the upper and lower edges of the metal closing ring opening respectively, press the left and right handles to close them, apply downward pressure to use the wedge structure to cut into the metal ring opening to initially enlarge it;
[0016] S2 Press the left and right handles to close them, opening the left and right pliers. Adjust the pressure of the handles to insert the left and right tips into the flared metal ring.
[0017] S3 presses the left and right handles, which, through leverage, drives the tips of the pliers to open outward, further widening the opening of the metal ring until the metal ring is removed.
[0018] The opening of the metal ring is fully enlarged by the left and right pointed tips, allowing the metal ring to be removed without damage.
[0019] The working principle of this device is as follows: During operation, the triangular tip of the wedge clamp engages with the upper and lower edges of the metal ring opening. The pressure generated by tightening the handle initially widens the opening of the bird ring. Releasing the handle allows the pointed tip to be inserted into the widened metal ring, providing a fulcrum for subsequent operations. Tightening the handle again, under leverage, converts the closing action of the handle into the opening action of the pointed tip, further widening the metal ring opening, thus efficiently and quickly removing the closed metal ring of the bird band. The blunt design of the pointed tip, and the fact that the two opposing cross-sections of the left and right wedge clamps form an angle of less than 180 degrees, prevents injury to the bird's tarsus when making a cut perpendicular to the bird ring, ensuring operational safety. Through the phased synergistic action of the wedge clamp and the pointed tip, the gradual widening and removal of the metal ring opening is achieved, realizing the efficient and safe removal of the closed metal bird ring.
[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:
[0021] 1. Removing bird bands using this device is extremely rapid, taking an average of only 15-30 seconds. Compared to traditional methods, it significantly reduces the contact time with birds, effectively decreasing the likelihood of stress reactions in birds. It also reduces the risk of bird attacks on operators, ensuring the safety of both operators and birds, and improving work efficiency. It is particularly suitable for large-scale bird banding operations or scenarios with strict time constraints.
[0022] 2. This device achieves efficient and safe removal of metal closed bird bands. It is simple and easy to operate, requiring minimal professional skills and experience from operators, and is easy to promote and apply. The tool design, such as the blunting treatment of the pliers tips and the coordinated operation of various components, minimizes damage to the bird's tarsus during band removal, ensuring the bird's safety during band adjustment. Rapid removal avoids stress on the bird, thus protecting its physiological health and maintaining its normal condition in subsequent research. Attached Figure Description
[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a closed metal bird banding device for removing bird bands;
[0024] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the device;
[0025] Figure 3 This is a magnified view of a portion of the wedge clamp of this device;
[0026] In the diagram: 1-clamp head, 2-pointed tip, 3-central shaft, 4-wedge clamp, 5-handle. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a device for removing the metal closed ring of a bird band includes a clamp head 1 and a handle 5. The clamp head 1 is connected to the front ends of the left and right handles 5 via a central shaft 3. The clamp head 1 is symmetrically double-arc shaped, with a hollow groove on its inner wall matching the diameter of the metal ring of the bird band. The front part of the clamp head 1 has a pointed tip 2. The rear ends of the left and right handles are also symmetrically provided with wedge-shaped clamps 4, which are in a triangular tip-to-tip position. The pointed tips are bent inward and blunted to accurately pry open the band without injuring the bird. When the left and right wedge-shaped clamps are closed, the two opposing cross sections of the triangle form an angle of less than 180 degrees to avoid injuring the bird's tarsus during operation. The outer surface of the handle is covered with a non-slip rubber layer to prevent slippage during operation. For easy storage and carrying, a hanging loop is provided at the end of the handle.
[0029] The working principle of this device is as follows: During operation, the triangular tip of the wedge clamp engages with the upper and lower edges of the metal ring opening. The pressure generated by tightening the handle initially widens the opening of the bird ring. Releasing the handle allows the tip to be inserted into the widened metal ring, providing a fulcrum for subsequent operations. Tightening the handle again, under leverage, converts the closing action of the handle into the opening action of the clamp tip, further widening the metal ring opening, thus efficiently and quickly removing the closed metal ring of the bird band. The blunted design of the tip and the angle of less than 180 degrees formed by the two opposing cross sections of the triangle when the left and right wedge clamps are closed are all designed to avoid damage to the bird's tarsus and ensure operational safety. Through the phased synergistic action of the wedge clamp and the tip, the gradual widening and removal of the metal ring opening is achieved, realizing the efficient and safe removal of the closed metal bird band.
[0030] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are: the removal of bird bands using this device is extremely rapid, with an average time of only 15-30 seconds. Compared with traditional methods, it greatly shortens the contact time with birds, effectively reducing the possibility of stress responses in birds, while also reducing the risk of attacks from birds on operators during the operation, ensuring the safety of both operators and birds, and improving work efficiency. It is especially suitable for large-scale bird banding work or scenarios with strict requirements on operation time. This device achieves efficient and safe removal of metal closed bird bands, is simple and easy to understand to operate, requires low professional skills and experience from operators, and is easy to promote and apply. In terms of tool design, such as the blunting treatment of the pliers tips and the coordinated operation of various components, it can minimize damage to the bird's tarsus during the band removal process, ensuring the bird's physical safety during the banding adjustment process, removing the band quickly, avoiding bird stress, and helping to protect the bird's physiological health and maintain the bird's normal state in subsequent research.
Claims
1. A device for removing a metal closed ring used for banding birds, characterized in that, The utility model relates to a bird ring taking tool, including the pincers head (1), handle (5), the pincers head (1) is connected with handle (5) front end through the axle, and the pincers head is symmetrical double arc shape, and the inner wall is equipped with the recess of hollow with the metal ring diameter matching of bird ring, and the front part of pincers head (1) is equipped with the sharp head (2), and the rear end of left, right handle is also equipped with wedge-shaped clamp (4) symmetrically, and presents the state of triangular pointed end opposite.
2. The device for removing metal closed rings for bird banding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sharp head is inwardly bent and is blunted.
3. The device for removing metal banding rings used for bird banding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The triangular opposite two cross sections of the left and right wedge-shaped clamps form an included angle less than 180 degrees.
4. The device for removing metal banding rings used for bird banding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the handle is covered with a non-slip rubber layer.
5. The device for removing metal banding rings used for bird banding as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The handle end is provided with a hanging ring.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Pliers for mounting and dismounting bird ring
CN201098851Y
Tong for auxiliary disassembly of ring for bird
CN201132295Y