Bird Banding at Manomet

In early May I attended a class at which we got to watch scientist band migratory birds. These photographs attempt to describe the process and the people.

The Trevor Lloyd-Evans Banding Lab at the Manomet Observatory uses science and education to create opportunities that connect people to nature. Migratory and resident birds have been banded at Manomet’s Plymouth, Massachusetts location since 1966.  Manomet’s Founding Director Kathleen (Betty) Anderson banded the first recorded bird – a Black-capped Chickadee.

Lead Bird Bander Amy Hogan uses a favorite stick to stretch the fine mist nets along aluminum poles set along flight corridors used by birds feeding in Manomet’s woods and wetlands.  Amy and the banding team set the nets only when weather conditions permit.  Even light winds can create a “hard” net and temperatures below 40 degrees F might cause a captured bird cold stress.

Amy Hogan holds a American Goldfinch that found itself caught in a mist net.  The nets, constructed of a fine, light plastic, are inspected frequently and birds are extracted immediately to minimize stress.  Removing the birds requires training and great care.

At the laboratory, just up the hill from the mist nets, Amy records the goldfinch’s species, sex, weight and age.  By gently blowing on the bird’s chest, Amy separates the feathers to estimate how much fat the bird has.  By blowing gently on its scalp and inspecting the skull she estimates its age.  Amy will affix a tiny and lightweight aluminum band to one of the bird’s legs before releasing it back to the wild.  If the bird is caught in the future a number on the band will identify the bird for future scientists.

Through a window Evan Dalton Director of the Manomet Observatory watches as he releases a Hermit Thrush through a hole in the laboratory’s wall constructed specifically for the purpose.