A Bedford band captures birds for science

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 30 July 2009 10:49

On a recent morning, a group wandered through dense vegetation and muddy terrain at Bedford Audubon Society’s Hunt-Parker Sanctuary in North Salem, N.Y. Helle Raheem of Bedford Audubon has provided this interesting account of what they were doing.

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A loud twittering penetrates the otherwise serene forest, and someone shouts, “Watch out for the net!” Up ahead an almost invisible mist net — the basic tool of the bird banding trade — spans the path.

Two birds are caught in the net: an Ovenbird and a young Gray Catbird. Both are unsuccessfully flapping around to free themselves from the fine mesh.

Tait Johansson, Bedford Audubon’s naturalist and licensed bird-bander, goes up to the net and with delicate, deliberate movements, extricates the birds from the net one at a time. His assistants, Bedford Audubon intern Donny Perret, Fordham University Ph.D. student Rachel Bricklin, and volunteer, Arthur Green, are ready and gently transfer the birds into breathable bags and tie the bags shut. This is just one of the 10 nets that Johansson has strategically placed around the preserve.

The banders start the day at 5:30 a.m. when most birds are already up and about, and around a dozen birds have been captured by the time four spectators turn up at 9:30 a.m. The group eventually makes it back to the banding station, an improvised clearing in the woods with large boulders that serve as tables and chairs for the banding crew.

This is the first year the Bedford Audubon Society is participating in the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, a broad-scale demographic monitoring of land birds, started in 1989 by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), (banding licensed by the Department of Interior, USGS). MAPS stations have been established nationwide contributing vital data to the study of the avian community. Among other goals, the research attempts to

• identify causes of population declines in land birds
• evaluate the effects and efficacy of land management
• understand the effect of weather variation and climate change on bird populations

Numerous studies, among them the latest North American Breeding Bird Survey, have documented the general decline in the avian population, for some species a precipitous descent towards extinction. (Neo-tropical migrants — the warblers, orioles, and flycatchers — and other migrating songbirds have declined an astonishing 50% since the early 1960s). One of the main objectives has been to try to determine whether this decline is driven primarily by low productivity or by low survivorship, in addition to known issues such as pollution, habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and above all, climate change.

Back at base camp, the serious scientific work is about to begin. Carefully, Tait takes one of the squiggly bags and lifts the Ovenbird out. With one hand, he holds the bird’s legs; with the other he gently cradles its body, stroking the bird with his thumb. Arthur helps out, while Tait fastens a small metal ring around the bird’s leg (Rachel notes down the number on the ring and other data in the banding log). The Ovenbird’s beak is measured, the sex of the bird is established (a male), and its general condition is recorded. Tait also carefully pulls out a tail feather and places it in an envelope for further DNA studies by the Institute for Tropical Research at UCLA, and lastly he weighs the bird on a small scale after placing it head down in an empty frozen orange juice container. Finally, the bird is ready for release. Tait opens his hands, and, slightly ruffled, the Ovenbird flies off and is immediately lost among the verdant foliage.

The IBP manages the data collected, which will also be integrated into the Avian Knowledge Network coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which disseminates the results to other researchers and conservation planners.

Close to 100 birds have been banded so far in Bedford Audubon’s program, which began in early June and is scheduled to end mid-August. Preliminary results show an encouraging number of woodland dwelling species, which have generally been declining across Westchester County, as wooded areas become fragmented with residential development. The Wood Thrush e.g. (included as being of ‘Special Concern’ on Westchester County’s Endangered Species List) has been a regular in the nets, an indication that the 340-acre Hunt-Parker Sanctuary is a high-functioning, relatively intact woodland where these birds can find refuge.

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Helle added, “Bedford Audubon is excited and proud to be contributing to this important ongoing study and add yet another significant program to further its mission of promoting ‘conservation and protection of wildlife habitats... through education, advocacy, nature study and bird watching.’”

Coming Up

Birdwatching cruise, with Larry Flynn, Saturday, Aug. 1, 7:30-10:30 a.m. Norwalk Seaport Association, aboard 42-foot G.W. Tyler ferry, from Seaport Dock, adjacent to the Stroffolino Bridge at the corner of Washington and Water Streets, South Norwalk, $20, reservations: 203-838-9444, seaport.org.

Audubon Festival, guided walks, demonstrations, live music, food, kid-friendly activities, nature-themed displays, Aug. 8 and 9, 9 to 5, Audubon Sharon, Sharon, Conn., www .sharon.audubon.org, 860-364-0520.

Birds and Cameras at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, leaders Alan and Della Wells offer separate walks for those interested in photographing birds or just looking at them, Sunday, Aug. 16, 8:30 am to mid-afternoon, Saw Mill River Audubon, 914-666-6503 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

11th Annual Hawk Watch Weekend and Fairfield County’s Green Faire, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 sand 20, 11 to 5, Audubon Greenwich, greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x239.

Monhegan Island, fall migration hotspot in Maine, four-day birding trip, Sept. 24 to 27, Connecticut Audubon, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 800-996-8747.

Swallow Spectacular, up to 500,000 Tree Swallows gathering on the lower Connecticut River, sunset cruises, Sept. 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 25, 27, and 30, $35, Connecticut Audubon, Essex, 860-767-0660

Block Island Weekend, three-day fall migration birding trip, Oct. 2 to 4, Connecticut Audubon, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 800-996-8747.

Birding trips to Barn Island, Greenport, South Beach, Sandy Point, Great Island, call for dates and times, Connecticut Audubon, 860-767-0660, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bird Walks with Luke Tiller: Saturday, Aug 1, 7 a.m., Birds and Blueberries; Saturday, Aug 8, 8 a.m., Norwalk to Westport Shore, 9 a.m. $10. To register, sunrisebirding.com/walks.htm; 203-981-9924, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

First Sundays, birding at Greenwich Point with Meredith Sampson of Wild Wings, and other guides, meet at the second concession stand, 203-637-9822.

Copyright (c) 2009 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.