I always love reading a little newsletter called the Bird Watchers Digest. It usually has interesting tidbits of information culled from a variety of bird journals, newspapers, and scientific articles. From stories about mourning doves that know to throw cowbird eggs out of their nests, to hybridized hawks, to strange tales of Canada goose eggs hatching out in an osprey nest (now that's a BIG mistake).

This latest issue has a list of birds who were recovered after being banded by professional bird banders and scientists, and why, where, and when some of the birds turned up.

A black-crowned night heron banded in July of 1985 at Laramie, Wyoming, was caught by hand in Tabasco, Mexico, in September 1995, 1,864 miles southeast. The bird was at least 10 years old.

A red-tailed hawk banded in September 1975 in Sussex County, New Jersey, was found dead in November 1998 in Connecticut, making it at least 23 years and 5 months old. The reported longevity for the species is 25 years and 9 months.

A mourning dove banded in Los Banos, California, was shot by a hunter a few miles away in September of 1996 making it at least 27 years and 3 months old. The longevity record for the species is reported to be 31 years and 4 months.

An American Wigeon banded in April of 1994 in Wellington, Colorado was shot later that year in Bethel Alaska, 2,734 miles northwest of the banding site