MAPS Bird Banding

The partnership

Our role with the Blue Ridge Bird Observatory

Highlands Biological Station collaborates with the Blue Ridge Bird Observatory (BRBO), a non-profit with deep experience operating banding stations across western North Carolina. Banding sessions run roughly every ten days from May through August.

During each session, researchers record an individual bird's age, sex, feather condition, and wing measurements, and check for any signs of disease or injury. Every bird then receives a USGS-issued aluminum band stamped with a unique ID number, so it can be recognized if it is ever encountered again.

Methods

How a banding session works

The process is built around the welfare of the bird: it is safely captured, measured, banded, and released, all within a short window. Repeated across seasons and sites, these uniquely numbered records let scientists follow survival and reproduction over time — the data behind real population trends and conservation decisions.

• Age & sex
• Feather condition
• Wing measurements
• Signs of disease or injury
• Uniquely numbered USGS band

Visiting

Watch banding in the garden

Visitors strolling through the Highlands Botanical Garden during a morning banding session are welcome to stop and watch. It is a rare chance to see real, relevant field science happen up close, right here in our community. Check the current banding calendar before you come, and our visit page has directions and hours.

Support

Support bird conservation at HBS

This project is made possible by the expertise of BRBO's staff, facilitation by HBS Associate Director Jason Love, and funding from the Highlands Biological Foundation. A gift helps keep avian research and monitoring going on our campus.