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RMBO follows birds south for winter

Feb 2

Written by: admin
2/2/2012 9:21 AM  RssIcon

Field crew at mist net in MexicoRocky Mountain Bird Observatory’s International Team is monitoring and banding birds in the Chihuahuan Desert grasslands in northern Mexico with the help of 26 local field techs the team trained in early January.

As shown in the photo, field crews remove birds that are harmlessly captured in mist nets to gather data to guide conservation efforts. After receiving a USGS-issued leg band, the birds are weighed, measured and inspected before being released.

Birds including Baird’s Sparrow (pictured below), Grasshopper Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur and many others winter in Mexican grasslands before returning to the Great Plains in spring. RMBO is working to conserve their disappearing winter habitat and boost their winter survival.
Bairds Sparrow
  Photos by Arvind Panjabi, International Program Director, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

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Tags: Chihuahuan Desert grassland , bird monitoring , bird banding , Baird's Sparrow , Grasshopper Sparrow , Chestnut-collared Longspur , winter habitat , bird conservation
Categories: Science
Location: Blogs Parent Separator RMBO blog
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Summer Bird Camps! Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory offers multiple summer camps for kids ages 4 to 12. The camps promote interest -- and fun -- in the outdoors and inspire an appreciation for Colorado's unique natural resources. Get information or register here. Get a taste of summer and kids having fun at RMBO camps in this video:http://youtu.be/Cgsb9hsO0aM

RMBO is hiring. Get info.

Spring Bird Banding -- Spend a morning with RMBO scientists as they capture and band birds.
~ Chatfield State Park, Littleton, Colo. Open April 28 - June 3, weather permitting. Closed May 18 & 19. Near the Audubon Center, southwest side of park. Registration not required for individuals. Schedule school visits and field trips at education[at]denveraudubon.org or 303-973-9530. www.denveraudubon.org 
~ Chico Basin Ranch, 35 miles southeast of Colorado Springs. Open Mon. - Sat., April 23 - May 19, weather permitting. Reservations required. Contact Katie Miller at 970-310-0852, katie[at]chicobasinranch.com or Lee Derr at 719-634-2305. www.chicobasinranch.com 

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory 2011 Annual Report 2011 annual report
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Townsend's SolitaireTownsend's Solitaire
(Myadestes townsendi)
A thrush species that breeds in the mountains of the American West. Townsend's Solitaires are mostly gray, have a white ring around their eye, a buffy-colored stripe on their wing, and white edges to their tails. During the winter, this bird migrates down in elevation to feed almost exclusively on juniper berries. During the summer, they eat primarily insects and spiders. Townsend's Solitaires nest mostly on the ground and are particularly fond of cut banks along roads and rivers. This is one of the few species that can be found singing any month of the year. They sing throughout the winter to establish and defend juniper-laden territories from other birds. Townsend's Solitaire populations appear to be stable, but more information is needed.
(Photo by Dmitry Mozzherin)
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Birds don’t give a hoot about state or international borders. Like the birds, RMBO’s biologists, educators and natural resource managers cross boundaries to work on bird and habitat conservation through Science, Education and Stewardship in the Intermountain West, the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond.
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