There’s a great deal of valuable scientific data that can be derived from a bird banding study. However, ethics demands that banding should only be conducted in a way that doesn’t harm the birds being captured.
Predators pose a special problem to a banding program. Songbirds trapped in mist nets are completely defenseless and their fluttering can attract the attention of passing predators. Merlins and sharp-shinned hawks are small migratory raptors that travel through Fairbanks along with the songbirds. When we see either of these birds, all nets are closed in the vicinity until they pass through. Most people think of squirrels are vegetarians, but they will also occasionally attack a songbird in a mist net. Squirrels exhibiting predatory behavior are quickly trapped and relocated away from Creamer’s Field.
We’re experiencing a special problem this year with a young fox that has developed an interest in the mist nets. Foxes don’t migrate so we can’t just close nets for a few days and wait for it to move on. They’re also too big to trap and move. As a response, we’ve had to close all of the nets on the land for the rest of the season. Our capture numbers will be reduced as a result, but we’d rather lose data than harm birds!
~Laurel
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