We were at Richardson Bay to learn what scientists look for when they have a bird in hand. Banding is a critical part of bird conservation; it allows conservationists, like Kerry Wilcox in the video, the opportunity to study the lifespan of birds to determine what we need to do to help them. Banding is a critical part of bird conservation; it allows conservationists the opportunity to study the lifespan of birds to determine what we need to do to help them. The procedure was developed centuries ago and the process can be broken down into the following steps:
- Capture bird
- Measure bird wingspan, legs and weight
- Age bird
- Apply ring that is engraved with an ID number that is entered into the national database
What researchers learn from this data are bird migration patterns, ranges, longevity, and behaviors.
Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary is located in a globally-recognized Important Bird Area, which makes it an essential place to perform banding research. The San Francisco Bay Area is a major region of endemism, hosting three recognized races of Song Sparrow, as well as the Saltmarsh Common Yellowthroat and the California Clapper Rail. The wetlands of San Francisco Bay support a half-million shorebirds during migration and winter, and those of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (often included with San Joaquin Valley bioregion) provide the ecological link between the Pacific coast and the Central Valley. Among its millions of wintering waterfowl, the Delta supports most of the world’s wintering population of Tule White-fronted Goose, as well as large numbers of Sandhill Crane and Tundra Swan.San Francisco Bay is recognized as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) Site of Hemispheric Importance for shorebirds – the highest possible ranking.
