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Welcome to the website of the Black Branch bird banding station!

The Black Branch station is located in the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge, and follows MAPS protocol.

When the station was first established, around 2004, it was in an area that consisted mainly of new growth, as the plot had been recently cleared. Over the past several years, the area has grown up, resulting in changes in the number of birds caught and the species that are encountered. The Data page shows the records of birds that have been heard or seen at the station, as well as data on the number of birds caught each year per 100 net hours. More information will be added soon.

Banding sessions start in late May or early June, and continue through late July or early August. Once in every ten day period, nets to catch the birds are set up at dawn, and visited every thirty minutes for six hours. Any birds which are caught are taken back to the station, where information about the bird is recorded. To find out more about this process, visit the The Banding Process page.

Visitors are welcome to attend and watch the banding process. See the Banding Schedule page for directions, banding dates, and instructions on how to approach the banding site in a way that will not scare away the birds.

Updated 2/10/2010 16:00