Bird Banding

Continuing with Dawn Garcia’s bird-banding studies at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) (http://www.csuchico.edu/bei/BCCER/bccer.htm) this month’s White-tailed Kite highlights information on specific monitoring programs and provides more results of her banding activities [Ed.]

A  Bird in the Hand -Why Band Birds? - Part 2

Individual banding stations frequently contribute to larger regional monitoring efforts.  Examples of National and International monitoring programs include the Institute for Bird Population’s Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, Project Owlnet, and the Landbird Migration Monitoring Network of the Americas (LaMMNA).  The MAPS program uses banding data to assess breeding bird populations and to establish management guidelines to keep populations viable. Project Owlnet monitors movement patterns of migrant Northern Saw-whet owls via cooperating banding stations in Canada and the U.S. LaMMNA consists of migration monitoring stations run by cooperators in Canada, the U.S. and Latin America contributing data to an effort to determine changes in populations of migratory birds internationally as well as at each individual station.  Dawn will contribute her data to both Project Owlnet and LaMMNA. 

Access these sites to learn more about the organizations mentioned above:

MAPS stations: http://www.birdpop.org/maps.htm

Migration stations:  http://www.klamathbird.org/lammna/

Project Owlnet: http://www.projectowlnet.org/

Following are the results of the songbird and owl banding effort at the BCCER between October 5th and November 23rd.  The banding efforts are to determine if migrant Northern Saw-whet Owls are using the BCCER as a movement corridor and to determine species composition and demographics of wintering populations of songbirds.

Northern Saw-whet Owl (24*), Western Screech-Owl (4*), Belted Kingfisher (1), Spotted Towhee (16*), Bewick's Wren (3), Bushtit (16), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (11), Hermit Thrush (33*), Black Phoebe (1), Oak Titmouse (2), Purple Finch (2), Lesser Goldfinch (1), Oregon Junco (1), Golden-crowned Sparrow (7), American Dipper (2), Hutton’s Vireo (1), California Towhee (1), Song Sparrow (2), Fox Sparrow (1), American Robin (2), and Acorn Woodpecker (1)

*Numbers do not include recaptures