Rosy-finch Project
The black rosy-finch is one of the least-studied birds in North America. We understand little about its reproduction, demography, population status, survival rates, distribution, or migratory tendencies. These data gaps limit our understanding of the species and our ability to conserve them. We are trying to fill data gaps for these colorful birds with the help of community scientists. Our team humanely captures and fits uniquely numbered metal and colored RFID leg bands to black rosy-finches found in our area. After the bird is released, special feeders placed throughout the species’ range detect and record the unique code on its RFID leg band when it lands on a feeder. Volunteers assist our team by conducting 20-minute bird feeder counts for rosy-finches every three weeks throughout the winter and early spring (December – April). Volunteers choose to do surveys at publicly accessible bird feeder locations or birdfeeders in their backyards. We train volunteers via a live zoom training session and have a recorded online training available for those unable to attend the live session. The Rosy-finch Project is a collaboration between Tracy Aviary, Sageland Collaborative, Utah State University, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Project Partners
Major partners include Sageland Collaborative, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and the U.S. Forest Service.