Advanced Bird Banding Course

[Fern Davies]

The Southern Sierra Research Station is excited to offer Institute for Bird Populations Advanced Bird Banding Course. Classes fill quickly, so be sure to register early! The Advanced Bird Banding Course is limited to 9 participants and will be taught by Lauren Helton of IBP (Institute for Bird Populations)
 

Dates: Sept 10-14, 2018

 

This advanced bird banding class is designed to help participants fine tune the banding skills they already possess and to advance their comprehension of molt strategies and ability to recognize molt limits and plumages on birds in hand. Classes are very individualized and the rate of progression will be dependent upon the skill level of the participants. There will be a concentration on details of feather morphology, plumages, and molt limits. We will spend the morning mist-netting and banding birds, and in the afternoon will have classroom lectures and discussions on ageing and molting songbirds.
Some of the skills that will be reviewed and expanded upon in the morning field sessions include:

• operation of and removal of birds from mist nets so that extraction speeds and safety are increased
• bird-handling skills, e.g. using proper grips to minimize bird stress
• in-hand ageing and sexing techniques, e.g. fine tuning of skulling, scoring on the data sheet, recognizing molt limits

Lectures and discussions in the afternoons cover:

• avian life histories
• molts
• plumages
• the role of banding in research and monitoring

Before attending an advanced class, participants should be able to handle and set up mist-nets; be able to extract birds from mist-nets; and have familiarity with ageing hatch-year versus after-hatch-year birds.

 

Cost: $850.00

 

A $150 non-refundable down payment is required to hold a spot in the class. Housing may be available at an additional cost on a first come, first serve basis.

 

To register participants should email michelleatssrs@gmail.com. In the registration email, please include your name, address, and phone number where you can be reached. Please pay for the course using a credit card or pay pal account at: http://www.southerns...op/BirdBanding/. Alternatively, payment by check can be made payable to the Southern Sierra Research Station and mailed to the research station PO box mailing address:
Southern Sierra Research Station
P.O. Box 1316
Weldon, California 93283
phone: 760-378-3345
ssrs@southernsierraresearch.org