▁history ▁a ▁kn ight ▁interested ▁in ▁ch ari ot ▁races ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Pl iny ▁( AD ▁ 1 ) ▁took ▁c rows ▁to ▁Vol terra , ▁ 1 3 5 ▁miles ▁( 2 1 7   km ) ▁away ▁and ▁released ▁the ▁c rows ▁with ▁information ▁on ▁the ▁race ▁w inners . ▁ ▁Fal con ers ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁would ▁fit ▁pl ates ▁on ▁their ▁fal cons ▁with ▁se als ▁of ▁their ▁own ers . ▁From ▁around ▁ 1 5 6 0 ▁or ▁so , ▁sw ans ▁were ▁marked ▁with ▁a ▁sw an ▁mark , ▁a ▁nick ▁on ▁the ▁bill . ▁ ▁St ork s ▁injured ▁by ▁ar rows ▁( ter med ▁as ▁p fe ilst orch ▁in ▁German ) ▁trace able ▁to ▁African ▁tribes ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁Germany ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 ▁and ▁constit uted ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁evidence ▁of ▁long ▁distance ▁migration ▁in ▁European ▁birds . ▁ ▁In ▁North ▁America ▁John ▁James ▁Aud ub on ▁and ▁Ernest ▁Thompson ▁Set on ▁were ▁pione ers ▁although ▁their ▁method ▁of ▁mark ing ▁birds ▁was ▁different ▁from ▁modern ▁ring ing . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁determine ▁if ▁the ▁same ▁bird ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁his ▁farm , ▁Aud ub on ▁tied ▁silver ▁threads ▁onto ▁the ▁legs ▁of ▁young ▁eastern ▁p ho eb es ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 5 ▁( although ▁the ▁ver acity ▁of ▁the ▁dates ▁has ▁been ▁question ed ), ▁while ▁Set on ▁marked ▁snow ▁b unt ings ▁in ▁Man it oba ▁with ▁in k ▁in ▁ 1