On October 15, 2025, Garden Club of Denver members went to Barr Lake State Park to visit the Bird Banding Station operated by the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Researcher Meredith McBurney was our most excellent host.
Banding stations are placed in areas where birds congregate in large numbers during migration. These stopovers generally have excellent habitat that offers food and a safe place to rest. The birds are harmlessly trapped in mist nets, and are removed from the nets by volunteers. After the bird is fitted with a leg band, it is measured and weighed, and has its health assessed. Each band has a unique number so that if the bird is recaptured or recovered later, scientists will know when and where it was first banded.The number of birds migrating annually is declining. As reported by Denverite, a 2019 study estimated that North America has lost almost 3,000,000,000 birds since 1970. These loses can be attributed to outdoor cats which are a deadly predator, climate change affecting migration rhythms, and elimination of habitat.Our visit yielded one handsome bird, a hermit thrush: https://www.nps.gov/articles/netn-species-spotlight-hermit-thrush.htm#:~:text=Good%20advice,they%20might%20enjoy%20life%20more. In the past 30 years, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies has banded more than 100,000 birds.To learn more: Denverite article-Story and photos by Lynn Dolven
