About This Project

I research migration paths for the golden-crowned sparrow. Migration is one of the least understood phases of the life-cycle of these birds. During the winter of 2019, I plan to put GPS tags on 10 birds in California, as part of a larger tagging project. In 2020, I will go back to the same location to recapture the birds and collect the tags. I expect to retrieve 1 in 3 tags. I plan to download tag data and analyze the results to write up as a journal publication.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

70% of temperate-zone migrating songbirds have shown widespread decline in western North America over the last few decades (Kirby et al. 2008). During migration, songbirds face many threats such as increased nutritional needs, altered predators, and navigational challenges. Adding to these inherent risks are human-caused effects such as habitat loss and climate change. Due to the speed of these landscape changes, songbirds are unlikely to evolve genetic adaptations that can keep pace (With 2015). Most research on migratory birds has occurred during the breeding season and migration is the least understood phase; delineating migration paths as well as habitat quality and threats along those paths are critical research needs (Faaborg et al. 2010).

What is the significance of this project?

The golden-crowned sparrow (GCSP) migrates along the Pacific flyway, wintering in California. For GCSP, researchers have already begun to help define migratory corridors as well as breeding areas in Alaska and Canada (Cormier et al. 2016, Seavy et al. 2012); however, the spatial accuracy was limited due to the tag type. With the new GPS technology available, it will be possible to obtain details on migration routes at a scale not previously possible, and ultimately provide the knowledge necessary for effective conservation efforts. Tagging individuals in this way provides an opportunity to quantify differences in movements across individuals, populations and years, and therefore the potential for these temperate-migrating species to adapt to global changes.

What are the goals of the project?

The cornerstone of this project will be tagging and retrieving tags from the migrating songbirds. The GPS tags need to be retrieved in order to download the data. I will tag birds in California at two locations - one coastal and one inland. I will begin tagging in winter 2019 when the species is wintering at the field sites. The birds will then be free to make their migration north to their breeding grounds. I will revisit these same sites the following winter (2020) to recapture these same birds and retrieve the tags! It may seem incredible to find these same individuals, but previous work has demonstrated that this kind of recapture for this species is indeed possible (see Cormier et al. 2016 and Seavy et al. 2012)!