Carolyn goes places : Bird Banding

One of the coolest activities I experienced this summer was banding birds! We had a lot of practice bird watching and identifying birds around the area; at the reserve as well as at other campsites we visited. This program is fortunate enough to have a professional Ornithologist from the National Aviary to bequeath some of his knowledge & know how of all things bird related. For example, when identifying birds it is important to look for distinct markers/coloration on the wings, head, and breast as well as the shape of the wings, beak, and tail. It is also helpful to note relative size to other common birds, such as a robin, if possible. The behavior of the bird can also help identify what type of bird you’re observing.

We were able to put our bird identifying skills to the test when we went to a bird banding station near the snowy range very early in the morning (not my prime time) one day. We were cheerfully greeted by professional “bird banders,” who were banding on behalf of the rocky mountain Audubon society. They took us out to 10 different nets and bagged any birds that we found. Unfortunately, we did not catch many birds that day, and a couple got away before we could band them. However, the birds we did get to band were pretty cool. We banded a few yellow warblers, a sapsucker woodpecker, a little house wren, a grackle and a little swallow. We learned how to look for a brood-patch, which indicates a female, and how to age the animal based on their feather growth. Some birds were sassier than others (the sapsucker got in some poignant pecks), but hopefully each of the birds we helped band will be back next year, or recorded at another station. The more birds that are banded, the more diversity is recorded, and the health of the ecosystems in which they interact is more easily discernible.