...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.
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CANADA
ALBERTA
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>> 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
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
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>> Rocky Point Bird Observatory - Ann Nightingale - rpbo@rpbo.org - 250-514-6450 - Rocky Point Bird Observatory (Capital Regional District)
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>> Andrew C. Stewart - andy.stewart@shaw.ca - 250-477-1328
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MEXICO
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OAXACA & VERACRUZ
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>> Manuel Grosselet - birdinnet@yahoo.com.mx - 55 10 69 83 39 - (Minatitlan) www.tierradeaves.com/
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COSTA RICA
>> Costa Rica Bird Observatories, Pablo Elizondo, jpelizondoatpifcostarica.org, +001-506-8834-4858 www.CostaRicaBird.org
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UNITED STATES
ALASKA
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>> Alaska Songbird Institute - https://aksongbird.org/education/volunteers/
ARIZONA
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​Maricopa & Mohave Counties
>> Chrissy Kondrat-Smith - azdesertbird@gmail.com
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Cochise & Pima Counties
>> George C. West - kbaybird@aol.com - 520-648-3743 - www.birchsidestudios.com
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Coconino, Pima, & Yuma Counties
>> Charles van Riper III - charles_van_riper@usgs.gov - 520-626-7027 - Charles van Riper, Ornithologist, Research Scientist
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Pima County
>> Clait E. Braun - sg-wtp@juno.com - doves only
CALIFORNIA
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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/
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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
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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
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Merced County
>> Steve Simmons - simwoodduk@aol.com - 209-722-3540
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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
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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/
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San Bernardino County
>> Walter H. Sakai, sakai_walter@smc.edu / danausakai@aol.com - 310-434-4702 - http://homepage.smc.edu/sakai_walter/
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San Luis Obispo County
>> Jodi L. Isaacs - jodiisaacs@parks.ca.gov - or jodiisaacs@sbcglobal.net - 805-458-3974
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San Mateo County
>> Mel Preston - mpreston@pointblue.org
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Santa Clara County
>> San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, Milpitas - Josh Scullen - jscullen@sfbbo.org, http://sfbbo.org/
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Tehama County
>> Brent Campos - bcampos@pointblue.org - 707-781-2555 ext.331
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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
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El Paso County
>> ​Fred Engelman - fcengelman@earthlink.net - 719.339.9691
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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
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Clear Creek, Park, Summit, Larimer, & Grand Counties
>> Clait E. Braun - sg-wtp@juno.com - ptarmigan only
IDAHO
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>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
MONTANA
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>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
NEVADA
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>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
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NEW MEXICO
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​>> Borderlands Environmental Education and Research - Carlsbad, NM - Steve West- wthrswift@gmail.com, 575-302-6187
OREGON
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​>> 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/
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​WASHINGTON
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>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
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King County
>> Daniel R Froehlich - dfroehli@u.washington.edu - 206-685-9866
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Pierce County
>> Michelle Blanchard - 21meadowlarks@gmail.com
>> Daniel R Froehlich - dfroehli@u.washington.edu - 206-685-9866
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Skamania County
>> Catherine J. Flick - stewart@gorge.net / flick@gorge.net - 509-493-1195
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Snohomish County
>> Daniel R Froehlich - dfroehli@u.washington.edu - 206-685-9866
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Thurston County
>> Michelle Blanchard - 21meadowlarks@gmail.com
WYOMING
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>> The Institute for Bird Populations - dkaschube@birdpop.org - 609-892-0445 - www.birdpop.org
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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.
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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.
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Bird banding is the science of marking individual birds.
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why it is critical to conservation
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important research discovered thanks to banding
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do the birds get stressed out? link to FAQs
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