He began banding 10 years ago as a way to keep involved in science and as a change of pace from teaching teens. Bird banding, long an indispensable tool for the study of wild birds by providing information on birds’ life spans, distribution, habitats and populations, now is part of the early warning system for an avian flu pandemic.Ĭonway, a high school biology teacher in Harlingen and one of a few licensed master banders in Texas, is an avocational ornithologist, like 25 percent of the nation’s 2,000 federally licensed master banders. Volunteer Jason West takes a cloacal sample from the warbler with a small swab that will be sent to UCLA to test for the avian flu strain H5N1 in the wild bird population.įar from a genteel pastime, bird banding offers the drama of bites from the jagged-edge beaks of cardinals and pre-dawn treks to set mist nets, plus the opportunity to expand scientific knowledge. He attaches a uniquely numbered band to the bird’s leg before taking five measurements: wing and tail length, two beak statistics, and weight. Removing a yellow and gray bird from a cotton bag, bird bander Mark Conway identifies a mourning warbler. Volunteer bird banders combine science with adventure.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |