Extraction and Banding Workshop

The Extraction and Banding Workshop is designed for individuals with little or no banding experience, and focuses on banding ethics, banding methodology, safe handling of birds, and extraction of birds from mist nets, and will be introduced to molt terminology, learning to age passerines using molt limits, the Pyle Guide (Identification Guide to North American Birds by Peter Pyle), and molt cycle terminology.

Workshoppers will be taught safe handling practices on the first day of the workshop and in subsequent days will be given one-on-one instruction on extraction at the nets. Later in the course, as time and advancement allow, workshoppers will have the opportunity to band birds and discuss criteria used to age and sex birds.

Much of the time will be spend in the field and lab with live birds. These sessions will be complemented with afternoon presentations and discussions. Workshoppers are encouraged to ask many questions and engage in discussions about the banding or ageing and sexing process. The afternoon presentations are meant to be interactive – workshoppers who ask questions and make it into a discussion rather than a lecture often benefit more.

The safety and well-being of every bird is our top priority, so every workshopper will not handle every bird. However, every effort will be made for workshoppers to see interesting molt limits, molt strategies, or species.