We have been banding and researching birds at the Powdermill Avian Research Center (PARC) since 1961. Many visitors come to PARC throughout the year to see our operation – all ages and levels of knowledge about birds are welcome!
We have several options for those who would like to visit PARC but all visits must be scheduled in advance. At this time we do not have the capacity for drop-ins.
- Open Houses and Free Guided Tours at PARC – Open Houses and Free Guided Tours offer a FREE behind-the-scenes experience as avian research is being done at PARC. These events are scheduled during the Spring and Fall migration seasons. Follow our Facebook Page for upcoming dates and cancellations.
- Group PARC Tour – Group PARC Tours offer field-trip-style visits that are great for larger groups of school or homeschool children, scouts, community organizations, university students, or other groups. To schedule a Group PARC Tour, please fill out the form found on Carnegie Museums of Natural History’s Group Visits website. The Group Visits department will help you schedule and pay for your tour. Group PARC Tours should be scheduled about a month in advance.
- Private PARC Visit – If you have a small group and would like to schedule a private PARC Tour, please fill our Contact Form to learn more and make arrangements for a visit.
A visit to our lab allows you to observe the trained staff as they identify, band, age, measure, and weigh birds as they are captured that day. Visitors who do a PARC tour will learn about our past and current research projects including our work with the Motus wildlife tracking system and how we research bird-safe glass in an effort to reduce bird-window collisions. You’ll learn about how we analyze our long-term dataset to look at population trends and changes in behavior, and hear about birds that we’ve banded that have been recaptured or found in places as far away as Peru! We often host graduate students or visiting researchers working on new and exciting projects, and visitors may even have the chance to meet scientists from other countries.
When To Visit
Time of Year: If you would like to visit the banding lab, timing is important. Although we do band year-round, spring (mid-April – May) and fall (September – October) migration offer the greatest diversity and numbers of birds. Nevertheless, each season has something to offer: researchers have banded more than 175 species at Powdermill’s banding station and well over 200 species can be seen in the diverse habitat near the banding lab. Spring migration brings the showiest birds: you can admire birds freshly molted into their dapper and colorful breeding plumage. In the summer you can see birds in breeding condition and find out what a young fledgling looks like. During fall migration you’ll see birds in their basic (non-breeding) plumage and learn how to identify those confusing fall warblers. In the winter you can meet some of your bird feeder favorites and learn about longevity as we recapture birds banded in previous winters.
Time of Day: We open our nets one half hour before sunrise and close them six hours later. Because birds are the most active in the morning, an hour or two after dawn is typically the best time to visit. Our new banding facility can accommodate large groups. Keep in mind that banding is weather-dependent and plans can change at the last minute if there is inclement weather such as rain, high winds, or high temperatures.
Interested in visiting the Banding Lab?— we would love to share our passion for birds with you!