Bird Banding at Riveredge Provides Critical Scientific Data
June 13, 2023 | Topics: Places, Stories
By Amy E. Casey and Jana Gedymin
Photography by Eddee Daniel
Riveredge Nature Center is so much more than just a place to take a beautiful walk in the woods. The organization’s thirty plus year legacy of avian research continues to grow through Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) and Midwest Migration Network (MMN) bird banding.
During bird banding, songbirds are gently mist-netted, retrieved, and banded by trained bird banders. Each bird is assessed and measurements are taken to determine age, sex and body condition before release.
The data gained through bird banding gives insight to the dynamics of bird populations, helping scientists understand the effects of long-term impacts on avian decline or recovery. Riveredge is an important research site, especially considering its designation as a Priority Migratory Stopover Site for birds from the Wisconsin DNR. An estimated 10,000 landbirds utilize Riveredge and the surrounding land parcels during spring and fall migration. Of these, over 150 distinct species have been identified, including twenty-seven species of Greatest Conservation Need.
Bird banding at Riveredge Nature Center is periodically available for observation by the public. Contact [email protected] for more information.
For more information about Riveredge Nature Center go to our Find-a-Park page.
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Amy E. Casey is a Marketing & Communications Specialist and Jana Gedymin a Research Manager at Riveredge Nature Center. Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks. Riveredge Nature Center is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.