is heavily entangled, the mist net may need to be cut to avoid injuring the animal, damaging the material. Mist nets will not capture birds in direct proportion to their presence in the area (Remsen and Good 1996) and can miss a species completely if it is active in a different strata of vegetation, such as high in the canopy. They can, however, provide an index to population size. People using mist nets must be careful and well-trained, since the capture process can harm birds. One study found the average rate of injury for birds in mist nets is lower than any other method of studying vertebrates, between 0 and 0.59% while the average mortality rate is between 0 and 0.23%. While rare, it has been suggested (without scientific studies) that larger birds may be more prone to leg injuries and internal bleeding. Smaller birds typically have problems with tangling issues and wing injuries. Factors that affect the injury and mortality rate are human error while handling the species, time of year caught, time of day caught, predators in the area, and size/material of the mist net. Banders People who are responsible for banding netted wildlife so they can be tracked are called banders in the United States. Banders are responsible for the animals caught and thus apply their training by looking for stress cues (for birds, these include panting, tiredness, closing of eyes, and raising of feathers). Without this caution, animals can severely injure themselves. In the United States, in order to band a bird or bat, one must have a banding permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife. The qualifications for permitting vary by species. There are different types of banding permits for birds: the Master Permit and the Sub permit. Master Permits are given to individuals who band on their own or who supervise banding operations. Sub Permits are given to individuals who will be supervised while banding by a person with a Master Permit. In order to receive a permit, one must complete an application and return it to the nearest banding office. Banders must ask for special authorization in their application to use mist nets, cannon nets, chemicals, or auxiliary markers. See also Bal-chatri traps to catch birds of prey (raptors) References Ornithological equipment and methods Bird hunting Nets (devices) Environmental Sampling Equipment