This year is the 100th anniversary of the Bird Banding Laboratory, the federal agency responsible for overseeing all bird banding efforts in the United States and Canada. Here we’ll take a look at why banding is such a powerful tool for research while highlighting a few of our projects that put banding to use. With the fall banding season rapidly approaching, its a good time to reexamine what makes a bird in the hand so valuable.
Recent extensive bark beetle outbreaks have raised concerns about the health of western conifer forests and their capacity to support wildlife species. These tiny bugs bring big changes, transforming forests and re-shaping landscape ecology in extreme ways and on a grand scale. We surveyed birds in Colorado, gathering data to compare unimpacted forests with those following a beetle outbreak. What we found may surprise you!
Little is known about grassland birds during migration. Automated radio telemetry through the Motus Wildlife Tracking System can help us understand bird movement during this part of their life cycle. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is implementing a three-phase, multiyear project to expand the Motus network into the Great Plains and Chihuahuan Desert, installing receiving stations along avian flyways to capture vital data and fill knowledge gaps.
Grassland bird populations are declining and the majority of species are understudied on their wintering grounds. In the winter of 2020, we implemented a regional monitoring program in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas to establish baseline population estimates of grassland birds. We surveyed on a number of expansive cattle ranches, each exhibiting fascinating ecological and management histories. Through the implementation of this program, we can share that collaboration between ranching operations and grassland bird conservation is mutually beneficial.
The grassland ecosystem of North America is home to some of the fastest-declining species of birds. Sustainable ranching practices are a vital part of the grasslands story — past, present, and future. That’s why Bird Conservancy of the Rockies invests in land stewardship efforts on working lands. Together with private landowners, we are partnering to conserve, restore and revitalize healthy prairie landscapes for the benefit of people and wildlife communities across the Great Plains.
They sat quietly, as still as possible, a group of kids and their adults listening for the elusive sound. Then they heard him: the muffled gobble of the wild tom turkey. It wasn’t long before this dinosaur of the modern age was in full view, following the sound of what he thought to be a receptive hen. It’s an emotional and immersive experience that brings these young people closer to nature and continues a long heritage of tradition and stewardship.
Like the Phoenix, our Bird Camps are transforming, being reborn and rising to meet the challenges posed by an unprecedented public health crisis. Though our 2020 summer programs will not look like they have in years past, we are committed helping kids connect with nature and rolling out exciting opportunities to engage though interactive virtual experiences. Learn more in this post from our Education team!
In a landscape where water is scarce and margins are slim, agriculturalists are leading the way to find innovative and collaborative conservation approaches. These folks are the boots on the ground, taking voluntary action and making tangible changes to achieve sustainability for future generations of people and birds.
Around 200 pairs of Bald Eagles call Colorado home, with most breeding pairs remaining in the state year-round, rearing their young here in the spring and summer. Why, then, does Colorado’s Bald Eagle population surge to well over 1000 birds in the late fall and winter? Migration is the obvious answer, but as you might suspect, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Why do some eagles migrate while others do not? Here we’ll explore the answer to that question and more.
Birds make our lives better. They provide beauty and song, as well as vital ecosystem services like seed dispersal and pest control. Bird habitat conservation is a great investment, returning millions of dollars in economic benefits and contributing to clean air and water for people. Read on to learn more about why we should all care about birds!
