Conservation and Research: At the Pelee Island Bird Observatory, thin mist nets are set up, the fabric small enough that two white-throated sparrows, didn’t see them and got tangled. The nets are gentle enough that the delicate birds remain unharmed. After being carefully removed, the birds are weighed and measured, taking wing and bill measurements while a small aluminum ankle band is delicately fixed in place. This band has a unique code that can be identified by other bird banding stations. Data collected here and from other banding stations is sent to the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network so that it can be used to look at trends in the birds’ health as well as track migration patterns and populations which can fluctuate with climate change. Research such as this can be used to help scientists get a better idea of the threats facing birds as well as ways to help protect the plethora of different species. Big thank you to Sumiko Onishi for letting me visit and film at the Pelee Island Bird Observatory.
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