Bird Banding at Joppa Flats

The Joppa Flats Education Center established its banding station on Plum Island in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The island represents one of the most important stopover points along the East Coast for passerines during both spring and fall migrations.

The Bird Banding Station is operated by the Station Manager and trained volunteers in April and May and in September and October. During this time, birds are captured using mist nets. Our staff gather data on species, age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., fat status, mass, molt status, breeding readiness, and other important factors).

Research

Our long-term goal is to monitor trends in bird populations and understand the relationships between the individual bird species and the habitats in which we capture them.

For every bird we capture or recapture, we record the specific net in which the bird was found. As a result, we are developing a database of bird species by location. By studying the relationships between selected bird species and habitat types, we hope to be able to inform management strategies for the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge that would benefit passerines.

Visit the Station

Each spring and fall, Joppa Flats runs programs for the public to see bird banding up close. Thousands of school children, birders, families, and educators have visited the station over the past years.