Data Collection

I use a variety of data collection techniques.

I capture birds in nets:

Stacked mistnets to capture birds in the canopy

Yellow-rumped Warbler in a mistnet

 

I band them using aluminum USFWS bands and on some species I also use combinations of unique colorbands:

USFWS aluminum leg bandsBanding a landbird migrantColorbanded American Redstarts

I collect physiological and morphological data:

It is easy to assess fat load in a living bird.  Most bird's skin is translucent, so when you blow on the feathers of their abdomen, you see something like the picture on the right below.  Note that you are looking through the skin at breast muscle (red) and fat stores (tan).  This bird was released unharmed.

Collecting a blood sample from an OvenbirdWeighing a landbird migrantAssessing fat load of a migrant Red-eyed Vireo

 

I then release them, hoping to recapture and collect additional data on them at a later date.

 

I also find and monitor nests, collecting data on eggs, growing nestlings and microhabitat preference for nest placement:

A nest of 4 American RedstartsMeasuring the width of an American Redstart egg

 

I also collect data on territory vegetation and arthropods (bird food):

Michigan mayfly - birds love these!Grab sampling invertebrates