Monitoring and Banding Birds in the Sacramento Valley of California

Methods

Summary

Birds are captured using fine-mesh nets (mist nets) that are specifically made for safely capturing birds. Banding stations are established on multiple sites that are monitored for a comparable sample period each month. The timing of net opening is held constant within fifteen minutes after sunrise following the natural change in photoperiod. Net placement is also held constant during each banding event. Weather data including start and close temperatures, wind speed and direction, and cloud cover are all collected and recorded at the start and close for each banding event. Records are also made of the annual start of breeding conditions such as brood patch and cloacal protuberance for resident species. The first arrival in the nets of newly fledged birds and the start and completion of spring and fall molts are recorded. These data can be compared from month to month and from year to year.