International Migratory Bird Day — Bird Banding Demonstration

Saturday, May 10 from 7:30 – 10:00am

Come celebrate the return of our migratory birds during International Migratory Bird Day 2014.  Master bander Judy Richardson and her team of licensed banders will demonstrate all aspects of the bird banding process throughout the morning.

Birds are captured using a fine net (known as a mist net), gently removed and fitted with a permanent aluminum or other light-weight band around the leg.  They are then measured, weighed, aged and sexed before they are released back into the wild unharmed.  Each band is individually numbered which enables the specific bird to be identified should it later be recaptured or recovered. 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 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.

Connecticut Audubon Society’s has operated a Bird Banding Station at the Birdcraft Sanctuary since the seventies. Volunteers, licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have captured and documented more than 18,000 birds there.

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