Migratory and Resident Bird Monitoring Program

Migratory and Resident Bird Monitoring Program

Approximately 350 bird species are found inhabiting the forests, lagoons, canals and beaches surrounding Caño Palma Biological Station. Roughly one-third of these are migrant species returning from North American to spend much of the year in the tropics.  Our monitoring program has been ongoing since 1991 resulting in an improved understanding of migrational movement, population status and trends.

Goals:

·        Maintain a long-term monitoring program to study migrant and tropical land and pelagic birds;

·        Provide training opportunities and exchange information with international students, biologists and conservation organizations, and

·        Produce a database available for research and conservation purposes.

Approach:

This Integrated Bird Monitoring Program combines the use of fine-meshed mist nets to capture and band birds with area searches and migration counts into a long-term monitoring and training program following the recommendations of the Partners in Flight – Aves de las Américas.

 Highlights:

·        A total of 3,822 captures from 113 bird species from 1994 to 2006;

·        The most common captured migrant species are Alder and Willow Flycatcher, Northern Waterthrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Kentucky Warbler and Wood Thrush;

·        A banded Gray-cheeked Thrush was re-trapped near Toronto, Ontario 18 months following its capture at the station;

·        North American populations of Prothonotary warblers are found in concentrated numbers, and

·         Monitoring and banding reveal populations of White-Collared Manakins with individuals of at least 10 years old.