Longevity list

Longevity lists were in the 1970s compiled by W. Rydzewski and published several times in the journal THE RING. These lists were the basis for updated lists published by Roland Staav in EURING Newsletters in 1998 and 2001. The list has successively been updated during recent years, but there are still many recoveries of old birds hidden in the archives of the ringing schemes.

Birds ringed as full-grown or adults have been included with a minimum age based on age at ringing (start of year set to 1st of July) and in those recoveries are age preceded by a >.

The plan is to include the two oldest individuals of a species in the list and the minimum age for a recovery to be included is five years. Recoveries of birds in the list where ring number and details are not included are published in atlases by those schemes.

All schemes are kindly requested to support updates of this list. New longevity records (either oldest or second oldest) should be sent to the bird ringing centre at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm by email.

Download the most recent version of the longevity list compiled in September 2023 here: Longevity list September 2023

Download the previous version of the longevity list compiled in April 2017 here: Longevity list April 2017

 

 

The table below was compiled in 2010 and will be updated shortly.

Last updated:
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Denmark
444967
>45yrs 3mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
FR 39497
22yrs 2mths
Shot
Scaup
Aythya marila
Switzerland
Z 21429
15yrs 3mths
Accidentally trapped (e.g. fishnets)
Finland
47205
>14yrs 0mths
Shot
Eider
Somateria mollissima
GB & Ireland
942932
>36yrs 10mths
Found dead
Denmark
>27yrs 7mths
Steller's Eider
Polysticta stelleri
Norway
497169
12yrs 9mths
Ring number read in the field
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Iceland
323757
>7yrs 0mths
Identified by other marks in the field
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalis
Finland
HT-34970
22yrs 8mths
Shot
GB & Ireland
SS 68635
>21yrs 3mths
Shot
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigra
Iceland
328
>16yrs 9mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
GM 79351
>8yrs 2mths
Shot
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fusca
Finland
H-57155
>21yrs 5mths
Shot
Sweden
9118882
>19yrs 4mths
Accidentally trapped (e.g. fishnets)
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Iceland
228026
>15yrs 11mths
Found dead
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
Russian Federation
D 18692
16yrs 11mths
Sweden
9607255
>13yrs 8mths
Found dead
Smew
Mergus albellus
The Netherlands
5241039
>10yrs 0mths
Killed by animal
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Sweden
W 107522
21yrs 4mths
Shot
Denmark
>14yrs 2mths
Goosander
Mergus merganser
Switzerland
Z 55000
14yrs 10mths
Shot
Sweden
9120182
14yrs 2mths
Shot
Honey Buzzard
Pernis apivorus
Germany
C 52627
29yrs 0mths
Found dead
Sweden
TA 8826
27yrs 11mths
Found dead
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Switzerland
829312
23yrs 10mths
Found dead (wires)
Poland
C 25955
5yrs 9mths
Killed by man
Red Kite
Milvus milvus
Germany
D 26437
25yrs 8mths
Killed by man
GB & Ireland
HW 83376
20yrs 1mths
Found dead
White-tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
Norway
106228
29yrs 10mths
Found dead
Sweden
H 8007
28yrs 10mths
Ring number read in the field
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterus
Spain
G 09545
17yrs 4mths
Found dead (electrocuted)
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Spain
AB 1860
9yrs 11mths
Found dead
Marsh Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
Germany
D 16220
20yrs 1mths
Found dead
Czech Republic
D 22845
18yrs 3mths
Found dead
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
The Netherlands
3273552
17yrs 1mths
Found dead (road casualty)
GB & Ireland
FS 95528
15yrs 9mths
Found dead
Montagu's Harrier
Circus pygargus
Germany
D 178
16yrs 1mths
Found dead
Hungary
401215
13yrs 10mths
Found dead (road casualty)
Pallid Harrier
Circus macrourus
France
FA 9410
13yrs 5mths
Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis
Sweden
9130178
22yrs 0mths
Found dead
Sweden
9130457
18yrs 9mths
Found dead
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
Denmark
588073
20yrs 3mths
Found dead
GB & Ireland
EF 80696
17yrs 2mths
Found dead
Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Denmark
313963
28yrs 9mths
Found dead
Denmark
3011454
>26yrs 10mths
Found dead
Rough-legged Buzzard
Buteo lagopus
Sweden
9208506
18yrs 9mths
Found dead (wires)
Sweden
M 10260
16yrs 8mths
Shot
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Aquila pomarina
Hungary
603164
7yrs 0mths
Controlled by ringer
Imperial Eagle
Aquila heliaca
Croatia
D 113756
25yrs 11mths
Found dead
Czech Republic
L 1196
10yrs 0mths
Ring number read in the field
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Sweden
H 2043
>32yrs 0mths
Found dead
Sweden
H 3598
>31yrs 0mths
Found dead
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Finland
M-17858
26yrs 11mths
Found dead
Finland
M-237
26yrs 1mths
Found sick
Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumanni
Spain
4019231
10yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
Germany
GN 4735
20yrs 5mths
Found sick
Denmark
520379
16yrs 5mths
Found dead
Red-footed Falcon
Falco vespertinus
France
GT 9477
>13yrs 3mths
Merlin
Falco columbarius
GB & Ireland
EB 28714
12yrs 8mths
Found dead
Sweden
6103897
10yrs 1mths
Found dead
Hobby
Falco subbuteo
Germany
5103443
14yrs 1mths
Found dead (botulism)
GB & Ireland
EK 04489
12yrs 1mths
Found dead
Eleonora's Falcon
Falco eleonorae
Germany
5265733
11yrs 2mths
Shot
Saker
Falco cherrug
Hungary
517363
15yrs 11mths
Controlled by ringer
Hungary
510868
12yrs 3mths
Found wounded (aircraft)
Gyr Falcon
Falco rusticolus
Iceland
15567
12yrs 11mths
Found dead
Peregrine
Falco peregrinus
Sweden
9002638
17yrs 4mths
Road casualty
Hazel Hen
Bonasa bonasia
Sweden
16504
7yrs 3mths
Shot
Willow Grouse
Lagopus lagopus
Finland
H-127524
>8yrs 7mths
Controlled by ringer
Ptarmigan
Lagopus mutus
Iceland
470824
6yrs 1mths
Controlled by ringer
Black Grouse
Tetrao tetrix
Finland
D-84897
>12yrs 3mths
Shot
Switzerland
Z 7919
8yrs 7mths
Controlled by ringer
Capercaillie
Tetrao urogallus
Sweden
36825
>9yrs 4mths
Shot
Partridge
Perdix perdix
GB & Ireland
FS 45771
5yrs 3mths
Shot
Denmark
5yrs 0mths
Quail
Coturnix coturnix
Slovakia
K 261152
>14yrs 7mths
Shot
Italy
241247
>6yrs 0mths
Shot
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
GB & Ireland
DA 56290
8yrs 11mths
Found dead
Czech Republic
H 30640
6yrs 5mths
Shot
Little Crake
Porzana parva
Germany
G 115134
>5yrs 9mths
Found sick
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Denmark
403675
18yrs 7mths
Found dead
Czech Republic
E 236015
12yrs 2mths
Shot

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