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Photos: USFWS - MNWR - Jessica Morgan
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It's the birds! Isn't that why we all love the Montezuma Wetlands Complex? Whether it's the warbler migration, the pools full of ducks upon ducks, or the baby goslings, or the soaring eagles, or the long-legged shorebirds, the Complex has it all. Birders travel across the country to experience the sights and sounds of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. The Complex is dedicated to the conservation and management of migratory birds and other wildlife.
In 1999, the Complex joined a national banding program called MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) to monitor songbird populations. Songbird populations are facing a growing number of severe environmental threats and monitoring efforts are essential in reversing those declines. MAPS is a cooperative effort between public and private organizations and bird banders of the United States and Canada. Here in the complex, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation and many volunteers work together to make the MAPS Station a success.
Monitoring programs such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Breeding Bird Census, and the Christmas Bird Count have provided information regarding annual trends in songbird populations. However, these programs fail to provide data on productivity and survivorship. Without this critical data, it is difficult to identify specific causes of decline within the trend, in comparison to natural agents that may affect birth and death rates. The MAPS program, developed in 1989 by the Institute for Bird Populations in Point Reyes, Ca., provides the critical long-term data necessary for the conservation and management of songbird species through constant-effort mist-netting.
MAPS began its first year with 17 stations and today there are over 500 that participate. The standardization across the country allows them to compare trends across landscapes as well as within specific habitat types. The data collected allows them to estimate adult population status, post-fledging productivity, adult survivorship, and recruitment into the adult population. This program is necessary to identify management actions and conservation strategies that can reverse population declines and evaluate the effectiveness of those currently in operation.
Ten mist nets, each twelve meters long, are set up throughout our designated habitat. Mist nets are made from thin mesh that makes it difficult for birds to see. Birds fly into the net and get tangled. Nets are checked every 30 - 40 minutes. After the birds are extracted from the net they are brought back to the Station to be processed. Birds are banded and a series of data collected including sex and age, then they are released back into the wild. Banding occurs once every ten day period from late May to early August starting at sunrise and lasting for six hours. The health and safety of the birds are always our first priority.
On August 4, 2002, we ended our 4th banding season. 329 birds were encountered including the usual Yellow Warbler, Gray Catbird, and Song Sparrow. 219 were newly banded, 7 were left unbanded, and 103 were recaptures. The exciting visitors for this season were an Indigo Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Black-and-White Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler and Sharp-shinned Hawk. Montezuma looks forward to its 5th banding season in 2003. Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who contributed so much of their time!
By Jessica Morgan