Volunteer

Volunteering at a Bird Conservancy Banding Station:

The goals for our banding stations are to increase our knowledge of birds and provide a valuable educational experience for the many individuals and groups that visit our stations. Volunteers are very much a part of meeting these goals.

We run volunteer programs at these banding stations:

Chatfield State Park – Spring

Barr Lake State Park – Fall

Chico Basin Ranch (south of Colorado Springs) – Spring and fall

Pineridge Natural Area (Fort Collins area) – Spring and fall

Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area (Gering, NE) – Fall

Chadron State Park (Chadron, NE) – Fall

Learn more about these banding stations on our website here.

How Volunteers Help:

The volunteer work at a banding station covers a range of tasks, some of which require considerable time and experience to become fully competent. Most training is on-the-job, and takes place when the lead bander and experienced volunteers have time. Here is a summary of the various tasks performed by volunteers, moving from most basic to more difficult:

• Recording the data as it is collected by the bander. This is the first assignment for all new volunteers with no prior banding experience.
• Opening and closing nets. Volunteers are expected to be available from start through close on their assigned days.
• Assisting staff and trained volunteers as they remove birds from the nets. In the beginning, you will be learning by watching and listening; you will not actually be handling birds yourself.
• Learning to be comfortable and competent holding birds. This will be taught at the banding station after the birds have been banded and processed and are ready for release. This competency is required before you will be able to learn to remove birds from the net.
• Assisting with presentations. Experienced volunteers talk with visitors about the various bird species, migration, ecology etc.  They hold birds so that visitors get a close-up look and then release them.
• Removing birds from the net. This requires experience to do it quickly and without overly stressing the bird.  You will be assigned to work one-on-one with a staff person and/or fully trained volunteer during the learning time. Unless you have some prior experience handling birds, it will take more than one season to become fully competent at this. And, some people find that they do not have the range of skills to do this task well.
• If you have prior experience with “banding” – e.g. applying the band, aging, sexing, checking for fat, weighing etc. – you will be eligible to band from time to time, depending on the needs at the station.

Helpful Prior Experience and Interests:

Banding station work is a very popular volunteer activity, and, depending on the station, we are not able to accept all those who apply. Our banding stations have slightly different expectations for new volunteers, but generally, preference is given to potential volunteers who:

• Have solid birding skills. At a minimum, we are looking for volunteers able to identify the majority of the birds that are caught at the station, and who have the ability to identify unknown birds to family.
• Have previous experience working or volunteering at a banding station or in a similar position.
• Will commit to at least one morning (approximately 6:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) per week for the full banding season.
• Plan to volunteer for multiple seasons.