Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary, 314 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day with a Bird Banding Demonstration, from 7:30am-10am.
Observe first hand the return of our area's migratory birds during International Migratory Bird Day 2014. Master bander Judy Richardson and her team of licensed banders will demonstrate all aspects of the bird banding process throughout the morning.
Birds are captured using a fine net (known as a mist net), gently removed and fitted with a permanent aluminum or other light-weight band around the leg. They are then measured, weighed, aged and sexed before they are released back into the wild unharmed. Each band is individually numbered which enables the specific bird to be identified should it later be recaptured or recovered. The information is recorded and the data is sent to the original bander and the Bird Banding Laboratory.
Bird banding is an integral aid to the study of birds, their migration, behavior, social structure, life-span, survival rate, reproductive success and population growth. From the data collected scientists can also determine where specific birds migrate to breed, where they spend the winter, whether species populations are rising or falling, and other details of their lives.
The fee is $7. Call for reservations at 203-259-6305 ext. 109.
About International Migratory Bird Day
International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) celebrates and brings attention to bird migration, one of the most important and spectacular events in the Americas. IMBD began in 1993 and is now hosted at more than 600 sites from Canada to Argentina.
Environment for the Americas, with the collaboration of international sponsors and partners, fosters bird conservation education in the Western Hemisphere through International Migratory Bird Day.