Bird Banding

The Tracy Aviary bird banding project started in 2024. we band with mist nets a technique where we capture wild birds using fine, nearly invisible mesh nets suspended between poles in areas of frequent bird activity. When birds fly into these nets, they fall safely into pockets created by the loose netting. We then collect vital data including the bird’s species, age, sex, measurements, weight, and overall health condition before attaching a small, numbered aluminum band to the bird’s leg. volunteer opportunities are available in banding all year round

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We have three banding projects taking place at the Nature Center at Pia Okwia,

Survivorship in Winter Monitoring Program

This program monitors the health of local wintering songbird populations that use the bird feeders at the Nature Center at Pia Okwia. Mist nets are set up around the feeders, and birds are removed promptly upon capture. Data gathered during winter monitoring helps address questions about songbird survivorship, the impacts of local habitat restoration at the Nature Center, and population dynamics of songbirds in the greater Salt Lake metro area.

Migration Monitoring Project

The Pia Okwia Nature Center Bird Migration Study monitors and analyzes avian migration patterns. Through tracking and data collection, we investigate the environmental and ecological factors influencing bird migration, while documenting long-term shifts in both migration timing and species diversity.

MAPS at Tracy Aviary’s Nature Center at Pia Okwai

This Project follows the standardized MAPS constant-effort mist netting and banding protocol during the avian breeding season. The project aims to provide critical long-term data on the vital rates (productivity and survivorship) and population trends of target songbird species from an important urban/suburban habitat in Salt Lake City.

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