...to encourage and promote bird banding as a useful tool in the study of the biology and migration of western birds.
Western Bird Banding Association
Bird Banding Opportunities
The following WBBA members have offered to make their banding operations accessible to visitors, apprentices, volunteers, guest banders, and/or the media. Contact them directly for further information and to make arrangements. In order to protect the email addresses on this page, we have made them "un-clickable." Please copy-and-paste into your browser/e-mail client.
CANADA
ALBERTA
>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
Don Stiles - stilesdj@shaw.ca (Calgary Area)
>> Beaverhill Bird Observatory - http://beaverhillbirds.com
Head Biologist - biologist@beaverhillbirds.com - 780-915-1301
BRITISH COLUMBIA
>> Rocky Point Bird Observatory - Ann Nightingale - rpbo@rpbo.org - 250-514-6450 - Rocky Point Bird Observatory (Capital Regional District)
>> Andrew C. Stewart - andy.stewart@shaw.ca - 250-477-1328
MEXICO
OAXACA & VERACRUZ
>> Manuel Grosselet - birdinnet@yahoo.com.mx - 55 10 69 83 39 - (Minatitlan) www.tierradeaves.com/
COSTA RICA
>> Costa Rica Bird Observatories, Pablo Elizondo, jpelizondoatpifcostarica.org, +001-506-8834-4858 www.CostaRicaBird.org
UNITED STATES
ALASKA
>> Alaska Songbird Institute - https://aksongbird.org/education/volunteers/
ARIZONA
Maricopa & Mohave Counties
>> Chrissy Kondrat-Smith - azdesertbird@gmail.com
Cochise & Pima Counties
>> George C. West - kbaybird@aol.com - 520-648-3743 - www.birchsidestudios.com
Coconino, Pima, & Yuma Counties
>> Charles van Riper III - charles_van_riper@usgs.gov - 520-626-7027 - Charles van Riper, Ornithologist, Research Scientist
Pima County
>> Clait E. Braun - sg-wtp@juno.com - doves only
CALIFORNIA
Humboldt County
>> Klamath Bird Monitoring Network - www.klamathbird.org
C. J. Ralph - cjralph@humboldt1.com
Office: 707-825-2992, Cell: 707-499-9707
John D. Alexander - jda@klamathbird.org
Office: 541-201-0866, Cell: 541-890-7067
www.fs.fed.us/psw/locations/arcata/
Los Angeles & Kern Counties
>> Walter H. Sakai - sakai_walter@smc.edu / danausakai@aol.com
310-434-4702 http://homepage.smc.edu/sakai_walter/
>> San Fernando Valley Bird Observatory - Mark Osokow, mark.osokow@sfvaudubon.org
Marin County
>> Point Blue Conservation Science - http://www.pointblue.org
Palomarin Field Station - Diana Humple - dhumple@pointblue.org
Southeast Farallon Island:
Summer seabird research - https://www.pointblue.org/internships/volunteer-research-assistant-southeast-farallon-island/
Fall songbird research - Jim Tietz - jtietz@pointblue.org
Mariposa County
>> Barbara Robinson - indianpeakranch@sti.net - 209-966-5259 - hummingbirds only
Merced County
>> Steve Simmons - simwoodduk@aol.com - 209-722-3540
Orange County
>> Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary - www.starr-ranch.org/
Sandy DeSimone - sdesimone@audubon.org - 949-858-0309
Plumas County
>> Brent Campos - bcampos@pointblue.org - 707-781-2555 ext.331
Riverside County
>> Stephen J. Myers - stephenmyers@earthlink.net - 951-616-7578
>> Walter H. Sakai - sakai_walter@smc.edu / danausakai@aol.com - 310-434-4702 - http://homepage.smc.edu/sakai_walter/
San Bernardino County
>> Walter H. Sakai, sakai_walter@smc.edu / danausakai@aol.com - 310-434-4702 - http://homepage.smc.edu/sakai_walter/
San Luis Obispo County
>> Jodi L. Isaacs - jodiisaacs@parks.ca.gov - or jodiisaacs@sbcglobal.net - 805-458-3974
San Mateo County
>> Mel Preston - mpreston@pointblue.org
Santa Clara County
>> San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, Milpitas - Josh Scullen - jscullen@sfbbo.org, http://sfbbo.org/
Tehama County
>> Brent Campos - bcampos@pointblue.org - 707-781-2555 ext.331
Ventura County
>> San Fernando Valley Bird Observatory - Mark Osokow - mark.osokow@sfvaudubon.org
>> Walter H. Sakai - sakai_walter@smc.edu / danausakai@aol.com - 310-434-4702 - http://homepage.smc.edu/sakai_walter/
COLORADO
El Paso County
>> Fred Engelman - fcengelman@earthlink.net - 719.339.9691
El Paso and Teller Counties
>> Dave Elwonger - davidelwonger@msn.com
>> Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II - oak@thorne-eco.org - 303-499-3647 (w) or 303-447-1769 (h) - www.thorne-eco.org
Clear Creek, Park, Summit, Larimer, & Grand Counties
>> Clait E. Braun - sg-wtp@juno.com - ptarmigan only
IDAHO
>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
MONTANA
>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
NEVADA
>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
NEW MEXICO
>> Borderlands Environmental Education and Research - Carlsbad, NM - Steve West- wthrswift@gmail.com, 575-302-6187
OREGON
>> Klamath Bird Monitoring Network - www.klamathbird.org
John D. Alexander - jda@klamathbird.org - Office: 541-201-0866, Cell: 541-890-7067
C. J. Ralph - cjralph@humboldt1.com - Office: 707-825-2992, Cell: 707-499-9707
www.fs.fed.us/psw/locations/arcata/
WASHINGTON
>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
King County
>> Daniel R Froehlich - dfroehli@u.washington.edu - 206-685-9866
Pierce County
>> Michelle Blanchard - 21meadowlarks@gmail.com
>> Daniel R Froehlich - dfroehli@u.washington.edu - 206-685-9866
Skamania County
>> Catherine J. Flick - stewart@gorge.net / flick@gorge.net - 509-493-1195
Snohomish County
>> Daniel R Froehlich - dfroehli@u.washington.edu - 206-685-9866
Thurston County
>> Michelle Blanchard - 21meadowlarks@gmail.com
WYOMING
>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
The Western Bird Banding Association is one of three ornithological associations in the United States that is organizing banding projects and collaborating on research with banded birds in North and Central America.
Bird banding is a research method used within the field of ornithology - the study of birds.
Banding (or tagging) wildlife is a way for us to indicate and recognize individual animals. To the average person, individuals of any given species are hard or impossible to distinguish by appearance. Additionally, most birds change their appearance - oftentimes drastically - twice a year when they molt their feathers. By assigning a unique identification number to individuals, we are able to document their specific information - whatever the researcher may be interested in. Most of the time this is morphometrics - body measurements. These can be used to observe change over time in various features of a population. This is important because each individual has a unique phenotype - the set of observable traits and characteristics that are the result of the individual interacting with its environment and are thus ecologically significant.
Bird banding is the science of marking individual birds.
why it is critical to conservation
important research discovered thanks to banding
do the birds get stressed out? link to FAQs