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Shorebird

BANDED

AND

TAGGED

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WHY DO WE MONITOR MIGRATION?

The more we know about shorebirds, the more effective we can be at helping them

Research needs to focus on specific populations in order to inform management efforts, but often these populations travel long distances to a wide variety of habitats

Monitoring tools like banding and telemetry devices help researchers track important information like survival and behavior over a bird’s lifetime, even across continents

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Watch Red Knots being captured for tracking with a cannon net in Delaware Bay

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1

Setting the trap

HOW DO SCIENTISTS BAND BIRDS?

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Setting the trap

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3

Trap

Removal

2

Trap-checking

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Mist netting for shorebirds in Mexico

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5

Banding

4

Data

Recording

4: Information about the individual (like species, sex, age, beak size) as well as where and when it was banded is recorded while handling the bird. Lightweight bands with some of this information are prepared by the scientists for placement on the bird’s leg.

5: A special pair of banding pliers are used to fit bands on the bird’s legs. The bander must be careful to size them properly so they aren’t too big to constrict the bird’s leg as it grows or too small and fall off. If the bird or its band are ever re-sighted, people can report the information to the appropriate authorities so researchers and conservation managers will know where the bird has been.

Image credits (from left to right): Dan Mooney, “Banding on the beach”, CC BY-NC 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/, https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdnerds/25933433901/in/album-72157666159262512/, via Flickr. Dan Mooney, “Banding on the beach”, CC BY-NC 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/, https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdnerds/25395405264/in/album-72157666159262512/, via Flickr.

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6

Measure and Weigh

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Success!

7

Ready for Release

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Shorebird Flags

Red Knot

Banded in the United States

Region where the bird was tagged	Flag color
Argentina & Uruguay	Orange
Brazil & Paraguay	Dark Blue
Bolivia, Ecuador, & Peru	Yellow
Caribbean	Pink
Canada	White
Central America	Grey
Chile	Red
Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, & Venezuela	Black
Mexico	Purple-Red
United States	Dark Green

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Region where the bird was tagged	Flag color
Argentina & Uruguay	Orange
Brazil & Paraguay	Dark Blue
Bolivia, Ecuador, & Peru	Yellow
Caribbean	Pink
Canada	White
Central America	Grey
Chile	Red
Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, & Venezuela	Black
Mexico	Purple-Red
United States	Dark Green

Where was this Piping plover banded?

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Region where the bird was tagged	Flag color
Argentina & Uruguay	Orange
Brazil & Paraguay	Dark Blue
Bolivia, Ecuador, & Peru	Yellow
Caribbean	Pink
Canada	White
Central America	Grey
Chile	Red
Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, & Venezuela	Black
Mexico	Purple-Red
United States	Dark Green

Banded in Brazil or Paraguay

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HOW DO SCIENTISTS TRACK BIRDS?

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Motus

Receiver

Tower

Scientists use a variety of tools alongside bands to help track shorebirds throughout North America, one of which is radio telemetry. By attaching a small radio transmitter that emits a unique frequency behind the shoulder blade of a shorebird with glue, researchers can track the bird’s presence whenever they come into proximity of special radio receivers. Some radio receivers, like the one pictured, are designed to automatically collect tracking data whenever animals carrying transmitters come into range. This tower from Alberta is a part of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a collaborative international tracking network organized by Birds Canada.

Image credits (from left to right): Laura Chamberlin, “Bay of Fundy motus tower”

MackenzieBailey, “Alberta's first MOTUS tower”, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en, https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alberta%27s_first_MOTUS_tower.jpg, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Radio

Transmitters

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Vehicle with

Radio Receiver

Handheld Receiver

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Satellite

Transmitters