Bird Banding at Trinity River Audubon Center

At Trinity River Audubon Center, we began a long-term bird monitoring program in the summer of 2023 with Ornithologist Blaine Carnes. During the summer and winter when birds are on their home territories, we capture birds using traps called mist-nets, place bands on the birds, and collect data on age, sex, and body condition. A priority is placed on the safety and well-being of the birds, and the trained researchers and volunteers working on this project handle the birds carefully and quickly before releasing them back into the wild.

Over a period of several years the data we collect will allow us to determine the rough population size of songbirds at the Audubon Center, if that number seems to be increasing or decreasing, and, if changes are occurring in the population size, potential reasons for why that might be. For example, a decrease in the ratio of juvenile birds in the population would indicate a decrease in nesting success, while a decrease in the return rate of banded adult birds from year to year would indicate a decrease in the ability of adults to survive from one year to the next. Since the banding is conducted in one of our grassland restoration sites, it is also helping us learn more about the efficacy of our restoration.

The study at Trinity River Audubon Center contributes data to the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, and the Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal (MoSI) program. These two programs are continent-wide banding projects coordinated by the Institute for Bird Populations. MAPS takes place between early May and early August at locations throughout the United States and Canada when migratory birds are on their breeding grounds, and MoSI occurs from November to March at locations in the southern US, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America when migratory birds are on their non-breeding grounds. Our location in North Texas allows us to contribute to both of these valuable programs and creates a more-full picture of what bird species use Trinity River Audubon Center throughout the year and how those species are doing at the location.