The Gorman Nature Center in Lexington held an educational event open to the public on Saturday, Jan. 25. Due to inclement weather, however, only one community member made the event. At the center, retired federal bird bander Steve McKee still caught migratory birds and demonstrated how the birds are tagged for information tracking.
After live-catching the birds with a square cage and seed lure, McKee snapped a small, silver band around each bird’s leg. “The band goes around their legs, but is kept loose so it doesn’t harm the bird,” said McKee.
Although the program is designed to be fun and informative, bird banding has an important function. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulates the practice to track information on migratory bird species. That information helps researchers track migration patterns, lifespans and eating habits.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Migratory Bird Program states that migratory birds have a significant role in the health of the environment, economy, and culture in the United States and throughout the world. Once the birds are banded, the information is collated through the Bird Banding Laboratory, just outside of Washington D.C.
McKee said that bird banding also plays a significant role in protecting our environment. In the 1940s and ’50s, bird bands helped scientists discover a danger of DDT. They discovered the insecticide was responsible for thinning the lining of Osprey’s eggs and was threatening the species. That body of information was made available as a result of bird banding.
Each band has a number, which makes the bird an individual. McKee does not give the birds he bands names, however. He explained, “I feel strongly that the birds I band are not pets in any way.”
Some birds are caught more than once. One song sparrow captured on Saturday was last banded by McKee on January 30, 2010. He estimated the bird’s age to be at least five years old. McKee shared that is a rare age to see in small birds, as most do not live longer than two years. The average lifespan is one year.
McKee was Gorman Nature Center’s Director of Operations and is a certified Federal Bird Bander. He is now retired after 35 years of service, but said he still loves watching and banding birds. He still bands birds a couple of times each year to track information on migratory birds.
“I love watching and banding birds. I just got back from Costa Rica and those birds were fun to watch. My favorite place to watch birds around here would have to be Mohican,” said McKee.
For more information on when McKee performs bird banding, visit Gorman Nature Center’s website, or call 419-884-3764. Additional information about bird banding is available here.
To see the process of bird banding up close, watch the GoPro video below:
“I love watching and banding birds. I just got back from Costa Rica and those birds were fun to watch. My favorite place to watch birds around here would have to be Mohican,” said Steve McKee.
