Migratory Bird Banding: The Science of Capturing Data to Inform Conservation Decisions 

 By Mary Menz

 Mist nets at migratory bird banding stations
sometimes capture unique--and unintended--species,
like this Northern Pygmy Owl captured September 2024.
Photo © Alicia Bachman.

Birds have been banded since the Romans used Pigeons to carry messages to troops during the Punic Wars. And falconers fitted their trained birds of prey with anklets and jesses—or leg wraps—to hunt and communicate with fellow falconers. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that a federal bird banding program was developed to track and record migration data from birds. The program is now a function of the United States Geological Society’s (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL).

The BBL is responsible for issuing permits to banding organizations. The BBL also provides federal metal bands to all banders; oversees the ethical practices and techniques of banders (who are licensed after extensive training); and maintaining the data collected by banders and banding organizations. It also facilitates communication among banding organizations within the U.S., the Americas, and worldwide. Eventually this data is used by local jurisdictions to make sound conservation decisions about bird habitat. 

Local Banding Efforts

Ridgway State Park (RSP)—in partnership with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and the Black Canyon Audubon Society—has taken part in this science effort since 2006. Every year since, with the exception of the first year of the Covid epidemic, the RSP banding station has banded migratory songbirds from Labor Day through the second Saturday in September. 

Banding stations all over the Western Hemisphere provide scientists the opportunity to ethically capture birds using mist nets or other netting depending on species being studied; to recapture birds as occasionally happens; and to learn about bird migration habits, food sources, preferred habitats, and more. All of these data points, for example, can help people understand how habitat loss affects bird populations and how a decline in bird populations might signal diminishing ecosystem health. It goes without saying, but has been documented in multiple reports including those at Cornell University, that an ecosystem unhealthy for birds is likely unhealthy for people. 

At RSP—and at the banding station open in Grand Junction at the Grand Valley Nature Preserve from mid-September to mid-October—temporary stations are erected and operated only during morning hours. Western Colorado is not a major flyway of migratory birds, yet birds observed, captured, and documented here provide a good indication of how wet or dry a year is, the quality and quantity of natural food sources and suitable habitat. Long-term, this data can also indicate changes in migration patterns.

Approximately a dozen other banding stations operate on Colorado’s Front Range, many open for two months each spring and fall. Most of these stations encourage visitor and school children on field trips.

At all stations, the bander in charge is an ornithologist (usually with a background in wildlife biology) who often has a specific interest in collecting data from certain species. Operating under federal banding permit, they set up mist nets and capture birds to be banded. After applying a permanent aluminum leg band with a unique nine-digit number, birds are released; but not before a thorough evaluation is completed. This includes wing and tail feather measurements, weight, sex and species identification, and age (generally, either hatch year or after hatch year). All of this data is logged online on the USGS BBL website, where anyone can report a found bird with a leg band to determine where and when it was banded.

We encourage you to visit the Ridgway Banding Station at its public day September 6, 2025. The station is also open to visitors during weekdays, but there will also be hundreds of school children visiting the station in class rotations at stations operated by BCAS volunteers. You never know what you’ll see! Among the usual species seen (warblers, vireos, sparrows and many more), you could also see a Northern Pygmy Owl! Visit early in the day as birds are most active from 7:30 to 9:00 am.

Mary Menz is a naturalist, Colorado Native Plant Master, and author of two books on wildflowers. The most recent is Wildflowers of Colorado’s Western Slope, available at area book sellers. She’s especially interested in the relationship between native plants, pollinators, and birds.

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Sandhill Crane Storyhour at the Montrose Regional Library

by Sandy Beranich
photos by Tina Meiner

On February 19, 2025, Black Canyon Audubon Society (BCAS) and the Montrose Regional Library coordinated a variety of activities for kids under the age of 11. The event was one of several events organized by BCAS members to celebrate the return of sandhill cranes as  they stopped to rest outside of Eckert, Colorado, while flying north for the summer. 

Warm-up to story hour began with storyteller Tina Meiner, Children’s Head Librarian, demonstrating and leading participants in bird yoga. Yes, apparently birds do yoga. Kids with their adults learned yoga poses used by sandhill cranes, which included sky pointing and wing flapping. 

After warming up, Anne Janik, BCAS member, then began story hour by reading about migrating sandhill cranes and engaging kids with questions. Additional illustrated stories were read by Ms. Meiner. who followed the readings with a paper crane project the participants assembled and were able to take home.

Participants moved to the children’s library, where arrows on the floor led them to nine different activity stations related to migrating sandhill cranes. Each station described a typical situation that migrating birds needed to overcome on their way to their nesting areas; e.g., where will they sleep? what will they eat? what if they can’t fly due to bad weather? Participants then followed a suggested activity that helped them understand how migrating cranes would survive on their long migration.

 In addition to the above participatory activities, a portion of the BCAS bird skin collection was on display in the library for kids and library patrons to view. Birds of all sizes were present and displayed on tables, which allowed viewers to get a close look at the birds they feed and enjoy. , BCAS member Carrie Krickbaum was present at the bird skin tables to answer questions. Several common questions related to whether we killed the birds for the collection and whether these beautiful birds in the clear cylinders were for sale. To be clear, all of the birds in the collection were found already deceased by BCAS members (maybe from a window strike or vehicle hit) and collected over many years. And no, not for sale!

All collected birds are professionally cleaned and the skins filled with appropriate material by a qualified taxidermist. The collection is unique on the western slope and is used by BCAS for educational purposes. After the day’s events were over, a portion of the bird skin collection was placed on display in the library lobby for about a month.

 It was estimated that 58 children plus the adults accompanying them participated in the planned activities. Other people stopped by to view the bird skins while browsing or checking out books in the library. The library supported this event with colorful wall decorations, other supplies, and advertising. 

In addition to the February 19th activities, the Montrose Regional library also prepared a dual language storybook walk about migrating cranes. The storybook walk was found along the perimeter of the library property and remained in place during the months of February and March.