Manomet’s landbird banders handled a total of 1,966 birds of 72 different species throughout the course of the spring banding season.

 

“Thanks to three significant migration days in May, the number of birds we captured this season was slightly above average for the decade in terms of captures per unit effort and diversity of species captured,” said Manomet’s Banding Director Trevor Lloyd-Evans.

 

Some of the most unusual catches this season were the first Summer Tanager that Manomet has caught since 1994, the second and third Orange-crowned Warblers that Manomet has caught since 1970, and Manomet’s first ever White-throated Sparrow and Slate-colored Junco hybrid.

The banders also recaptured 123 birds from previous seasons which provided valuable information about the age structure, stop-over ecology, and breeding patterns of birds that breed in or migrate through Manomet.

 

The most notable recaptures this spring included a 7-year-old Song Sparrow and a 7-year-old Common Yellowthroat, both of which were found in breeding condition.

 

Manomet’s banders also had 214 Gray Catbird captures and 164 recaptures this spring, more than doubling the total captures of any other species. Catbirds are often the most abundant bird caught at the banding lab, but the recaptures this season could provide additional information about the species’ migration patterns.

 

Two of the Catbirds recaptured this spring had been previously banded elsewhere, but the banding lab is still waiting to recover more information about who banded them. The lab did discover, however, that a Catbird banded at Manomet on June 13, 2013 was recaptured this spring on March 15 in Smoaks, South Carolina.

 

Click here to learn more about the landbird banding program. 

 

– Liza LePage