A ringed partridge or pheasant recovered in French Guiana only tells its story if the ring number is reported, and that takes a minute. RingFollow never publishes the name of a hunter, an ACCA (approved communal hunting association) or a municipality, nor any count below 3. Its prefecture is Cayenne, and INSEE classifies it as both an overseas department and an overseas region.
Validating recoveries in French Guiana
For department 973, no federation uses RingFollow at present. Reporting remains possible and useful: the recovery is recorded, then reviewed by a federation; GIBIS plays no part in the validation. If the bird comes from a release in a department whose federation is registered, that federation validates the recovery; otherwise the report stays on file for French Guiana.
From photo to report
- Start with a sharp photo of the ring: the number is read automatically, and you check it.
- Enter the municipality, Cayenne or any other in the department; no municipality is ever shown publicly.
- Pick the species from the list (pheasant, grey partridge, red-legged partridge and hare); sex and circumstances are optional.
- Send the report; name, phone and e-mail are optional, but an e-mail address gets you an acknowledgement.
The other overseas departments
The other four overseas departments each have their own page: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte. No federation registered on RingFollow lies within 400 km; all of them are listed on the Federations page.
The department at a glance
With 293,996 inhabitants (INSEE, 2022 population count) on about 83,680 km², the density is roughly 4 inhabitants per km²; the department has 22 municipalities. Population density (about 4 inhabitants per km²) is lower here than in any other overseas department. Its arrondissements are administered from Cayenne (prefecture), Saint-Georges and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
Sources: INSEE (official geographic code 2025, 2022 population counts), geo.api.gouv.fr (areas).
What happens to the report
The report is recorded as soon as it arrives, with the photo and the municipality given. Next comes the matching: does the ring belong to a recorded release? If so, and if that department's federation is registered, it reviews the recovery. If no release matches, the report is kept under department 973 and stays out of the public totals. The public only sees totals per department; points on the national map are rounded to about 1 km.
One ring, one data point
The recovery rate is the number of validated rings divided by the number of birds released. It only exists if hunters report, in French Guiana as elsewhere. For an example, see the review of the 2025 pheasant-poult operation (Infochasse mag' no. 72, in French).
RingFollow figures for French Guiana
- No validated recovery has been located in French Guiana on RingFollow so far.
- The validation queue for French Guiana is empty.
- Nationwide, RingFollow records 85 ringed releases (3,592 birds) and 16 validated recoveries, across 5 participating federations.
Further reading
Species, delivery and release planning are a matter for the breeder: see game birds for restocking and red-legged and grey partridges on gibis.fr.
Frequently asked questions
Who validates a recovery reported in French Guiana?
A hunters' federation: the one for the department where the bird was originally released, if it is registered on RingFollow. The French Guiana hunters' federation (FDC 973) does not use RingFollow at present, and GIBIS never validates.
Where do I report a pheasant ring found in French Guiana?
On bagues.gibis.fr, from a phone: a photo of the ring, the species and the municipality where the bird was taken are enough. No account is needed.
What if the ring number is illegible?
Take several well-lit photos from different angles, then correct the suggested number if needed. The photos stay attached to the report for the validating federation.
Do I have to give my name to report a ring in French Guiana?
No. Name, phone and e-mail are optional; an e-mail address only gets you an acknowledgement. Only the validating federation sees what you leave.
Why are there no statistics for French Guiana?
A department's statistics are only published if its federation tracks its rings on RingFollow and at least 3 releases are recorded there. The French Guiana hunters' federation (FDC 973) does not use RingFollow at present.
Registering a federation
Hunter or ACCA official in French Guiana? You can raise it with your federation. All federations and their situation: Federations.
Few figures for French Guiana so far? See what a well-filled department page looks like (example with simulated data).