Birds in the Mist: the Powdermill Bird Banding Program

The autumn bird migration is underway in Western Pennsylvania. As they migrate south along Laurel Ridge, some birds may contribute to our understanding of avian biology by making an unexpected stop in one of the mist nets at Powdermill Nature Reserve in Cook Township, Westmoreland County.

Each year thousands of birds are briefly captured and banded at the Powdermill Bird Banding station. Bands are lightweight aluminum rings that are affixed to birds' legs. Each band is inscribed with a unique identification number and an address or phone number for reporting any encounters with banded birds to the U.S. Geological Survey's Bird Banding Lab, where all original banding information for North America is stored. Mist nets, made of fine nylon mesh and strung between two poles like stacked badminton nets, allow birds to be captured without harm by licensed banders. When banded birds are captured, released, and reported from another location, movements of individual birds can be determined.

At Powdermill, mist nets are opened before dawn each banding day. Any birds captured are carefully removed every 30 to 45 minutes. Birds are identified, banded, and information about their age, sex, wing length, fat deposits, body mass and other data are carefully recorded.  The whole process of collecting data for each captured bird takes less than a minute, after which the bird is released.

Robert Leberman started avian research at Powdermill in 1961. Since that time Powdermill has banded an average of 10,000 birds annually over the course of the program's 43-year history.

Visitors are welcome to observe bird banding at Powdermill. Banding takes place every day, weather permitting, Tuesday through Sunday.  The banding staff appreciates a phone call in advance to avoid conflicts with any scheduled group visits. The staff may be reached at (724) 593-7521.

For more information on bird banding at Powdermill, visit the Powdermill Bird Banding website. Information about Powdermill Nature Reserve's educational programs and other research projects is available on Powdermill's website.

Today's photos show 1) volunteer Randi Garrish, Bander-in-Charge Adrienne Leppold and doctoral student Valeria Ojeda examining the plumage of two bluejays to determine the age of the birds; 2) a banded Yellow-Rumped Warbler in a mist net; and 3) a banded male Canada Warbler.

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