#5 Banding Song Birds part 1

Chestnut-Sided Warbler

Owls aren’t the only birds who’s migratory paths are being tracked, song birds are also caught by scientists and tracked to try to find more information about them.  Each year scientists catch thousands of song birds weather it be in the fall, spring, or summer.  The main goal of capturing and banding song birds is much of the same as owls, to track their migratory paths and breeding territories to try to get a better understanding of how they live.

Mist Nets used to capture birds

The mist nets are checked every 30 minutes for any birds, we carry them back to the banding station in bags that we carry around are necks.  When we get back to the banding station, before putting a band on it’s leg, we must first identify the bird, if we aren’t able to do this then the bird must be released. 

Different sized bands and leg gauges on far right

After being able to identify the we can then put a band on its leg.  Each bird has a different leg size, therefore each bird needs a different size band.

Tools needed to band birds

Scarlet Tanager being banded by mon@rch

After we are able to find the band we can then put in on the birds legs using special pliers.

Worn down band

The band itself is made out of aluminum and does not effect the birds day to day life at all, it feels somewhat of what a bracelet would feel like to you or me.  Each band has a serial number on it that is some what of like a social security number to us except with the chance of having their identity stolen.

“Chubby” of bird

After putting the band on the birds leg we then check to find if its a male or female, like humans birds have stuff too, above is a big “chubby” of a male bird, females would have no bump and it would stay flat.

Wing Meassurment

The next measurement that we take is a wing measurement, this can be used to help identify the species of the bird if we are having trouble identifying it by eye.

Please come back next week for part 2 of banding song birds.