Permit Requirements
Mist Nets
Avinet policy is that we only sell mist nets for the purpose of research, and only to customers who provide us with a copy of their federal or state-issued permit specifically authorizing use of mist nets to capture birds and bats. If you are purchasing on behalf of someone else, please make a note in the order comments (in the shopping cart area - it is before the checkout area!) who the nets are being purchased for and make sure that they are aware you are purchasing mist nets for them. We reserve the right to contact the permit holder to ensure that you are authorized to be purchasing equipment under their permit.
Please send us copies of permits as attachments to orders@avinet.com or upload to our website via the mist net product pages. PDF files or image files are preferable. We keep copies of permits on file, so if you have ordered from us before, please reference your permit number with your order (in the shopping cart area - it is before the checkout area!). We generally ask for the most recent copy of your permit if we have a copy on file that is older than 5 years old (or at our discretion).
We accept the following documentation:
USA:
- USGS Federal Bird Banding permits. Please specify if you are a subpermittee or the master permittee.
- US Fish & Wildlife Service federal permits for scientific collection.
- State issued collection permits
Canada: Environment Canada permits, provincial permits (not applicable to migratory birds)
Australia: ABBBS Permits (Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme)
Mexico: SEMARNAT permits
All other countries - research permits issued by the overseeing environmental agency or ministry in your country are all acceptable forms of permit documents.
If you are not able to produce any of the permits above, we will accept on a case-by-case basis a formal letterhead issued by an official of the Ministry of Environment (or equivalent in your country) authorizing you to conduct research using mist nets in a given region. We will also accept on a case-by-case basis a formal letterhead issued by your supervisor, mentor, or head of office who can attest to your experience using mist nets and be responsible for any reports of misuse. If you are currently waiting to receive a permit that has been applied for, such as your Bird Banding Lab subpermittee application, you may place an order for permitted equipment, however we must have the permit before we ship the order to you.
We do not under any circumstances sell mist nets to those engaged in pest control or bird mitigation services of any kind. We do make exceptions to permitted individuals from USDA APHIS.
We do not accept IACUC authorizations as permit documentation except in situations where customers are working with wildlife species that are not under protection (House sparrows, European starlings, etc.). You should have state or federal documentation to accompany IACUC paperwork when working with protected species.
Please consult us via email (orders@avinet.com) or give us a call at 1(888)284-6387 if you have any questions regarding what is appropriate for our permit requirements. We are knowledgeable concerning permits and can help you locate the appropriate documentation.
Sampling Supplies
*Please note that hypodermic needles are only available for shipment within the US. Because of import laws, we cannot ship them internationally.*
For blood sampling supplies, we require your permit to specifically list your authorization to take, possess, and transport blood samples, and we cannot make exceptions. It usually appears as:
Please contact us if you have any questions about what is appropriate permit documentation.
Auxiliary Markers
We do not currently require permits on auxiliary markers. Use of color bands is not regulated in all countries, and many researchers use them for captive studies. We trust that all customers purchasing color bands are using them in an ethical, safe manner on wild and captive birds alike.