The Network’s next bird banding workshops have been scheduled for fall of 2019 and will occur at the following locations:
- USFWS Regional Office (classroom session) and Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (field session) in Bloomington, Minnesota on September 6-8, 2019.
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri on October 4-6, 2019.
An additional workshop in 2019 is being considered for the Lake Superior region.
All workshops will be led by Mark Shieldcastle of Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
Registration is free! Thank you to the USFWS Region 3 Migratory Bird Office for funding this workshop.
Why should you participate in a coordinated banding program during the migratory periods?
- Make your banding data more useful to scientists. Data collected in a consistent manner across regions allows scientists to ask big picture questions such as looking at annual changes in adult recruitment into populations of declining species.
- Work together with other banding stations and scientists to address important large-scale bird research and conservation issues.
- Receive technical support to address your local research questions.
- Help agencies and organizations make better conservation decisions based on new science-based information.
Already operating a migration banding station?
- You don’t need to stop doing anything you’ve done in the past. All we ask is that you add just a few new things to your routine.
- Start your involvement in the Midwest Migration Network by participating in this or a future training workshop to learn what your station can do to participate.
What will the free workshop cover?
- Classroom and outdoor sessions.
- Learn new and updated methods and protocols.
- Learn how to register your banding station.
- Learn what to do with the data you collect. Band data will continue to go to the Bird Bandling Lab. Other data collected will be submitted to the Midwest Avian Data Center starting later this year.
To register, send an email to Mark Shieldcastle (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), and copy Bill Mueller (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
More information, including registration forms, protocol, and agenda, will be sent to all inquiring.