Bird Banding Demonstration

Saturday, May 11  from 7:30 – 10:00am

Come celebrate the return of our migratory birds on International Migratory Bird Day.  Watch Master bander Judy Richardson and her team of licensed banders as they demonstrate all aspects of the bird banding process. You’ll be amazed at the variety of birds that pass through the Birdcraft Sanctuary.

 Birds are captured using a fine net (know as a mist net).  Birds that fly into the net are gently removed and a permanent aluminum or other light-weight band is placed around the bird’s leg.  Birds are then measured, weighed, aged and sexed  before they are released back into the wild unharmed.  If the bird is recovered, either dead or alive, at a future time, the information is recorded and the data is sent to the original bander and the Bird Banding Laboratory. 

Bird banding is an integral aid to the study of wild birds, their migration, behavior, social structure, life-span, survival rate, reproductive success and population growth. From the data collected scientists can also determine where specific birds migrate to breed, where they spend the winter, whether species populations are rising or falling, and other details of their lives.  The Birdcraft Sanctuary has been operating since the seventies. Volunteers, licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have documented more that 18,000 birds at this location

 The fee is $7.  Call for reservations at 203-259-6305 ext. 109.