Vancouver Avian Research Centre

Vancouver Avian Research Centre

.....Research - Conservation - Education

Bird Banding - Highlights by date (most recent first!)

2013 Spring	Banding station under water, Red-winged Blackbird (female underwing covert molt limits), Tree Swallow nest boxes, Black-capped Chickadee nest and female with brood patch, Myrtle Warbler (ASY male prealternate molt), Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds (AHY male RUHU r2 notch), April ID Workshop, May Banding Workshop and BCIT student field trip, Pine Siskin irruption, Purple Finch (ASY male and delayed plumage maturation), Savannah Sparrow (ASY retrap, molt and ageing, hallux photo), Orange-crowned Warbler (subspecies information and fat scores on migrants), Lincoln's Sparrow (molt and ageing and close up of pp coverts), Lazuli Bunting (ASY male), Sharp-shinned Hawk (SY male), Mourning Dove (AHY female), Black-headed Grosbeak (ASY male retrap and molt and ageing). Band-Tailed Pigeon, Long-eared Owl.
2012 October	Addition of J-Trap, Audubon's Warbler (HY female wing molt), Marsh Wren (HY molt), House Finch (HY eccentric molt pattern), Spotted Towhee (HY and AHY males showing eye colour, wing molt and retrices), Fox Sparrow (essay on molt pattern in Sooty Form), Dark-eyed Junco (HY molt showing skipped GC10), Hermit Thrush (HY molt pattern and P10 shape), Amur Falcon slaughter in NE India, VARC 2013 calendar.
2012 September	Wilson's, Orange-crowned, Yellow Warblers (HY and AHY wing molts), Purple Finch and Black-capped Chickadee (molt limits in the making), Spotted Towhee (HY male in molt), Swainson's Thrush recovery and window strikes, Orange-crowned Warbler subspecies, Visitors Tim Ball and Kwantlen University Polytechnic, Barn Swallow (HY showing tail notch), Dusky Flycatcher, Lincoln's Sparrow (showing wing and tail molt), Black-headed Grosbeak (furcular fat deposits), Anna's Hummingbird (HY male), Fox Sparrows (Sooty and Slate-colored forms), Hutton's Vireo, Red-breasted Sapsucker, White-throated Sparrow.
2012 July/August	Northern Rough-winged Swallow (primary edges), Catching the Spirit Youth field trip, American Robin (AHY male), Brown-headed Cowbird (HY male), Brown Creeper (HY in juvenile plumage), Mourning Dove (HY), NAOC-V (Conference booth, field trip, Bob Mulvihill and Powdermill alumni visit) birds in juvenile plumage, House Finch (HY with fault bars), Black-headed Grosbeak (HY female with peg!), Cooper's hawk (HY male), Bewick's and Marsh Wrens (HY), Swainson's Thrush (HY molt photos), hairy and Downy Woodpeckers (HY male and female showing crowns), Orange-crowned and MacGillivray's Warblers (HY molt limits), Western Tanager (HY male showing molt limits), Red-winged Blackbird (HY male showing complete 1st PB), Rufous Hummingbird (HY male showing bill corrugations), Anna's Hummingbird (HY male showing wing molt), Northern Waterthrush (HY showing rusty tipped tertials), Chipping Sparrows (AHY and HY birds), Warbling Vireo (HY showing mouth lining), European Staring (HY showing complete molt), Bushtit (HY and AHY female showing iris colour)
2012 June	Indigo Bunting (showing molt), Lazuli Bunting, Least Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Red-breasted Sapsucker (90th species banded!), June Bird Monitoring and Banding Workshop, Western Wood-Pewee, Black-throated Gray Warbler (SY female showing molt), Rufous Hummingbirds (super-macro photography and ageing and sexing), Hatch Year birds and Tree Swallow nestlings, Black-headed Grosbeak (SY male showing feather wear), Eastern Kingbird (ageing and sexing).
2012 May	American Goldfinch (ageing & sexing), MacGillivray's, Orange-crowned Warblers (adult males), Wilson's Warbler (adult female), Hummingbird monitoring (male Anna's & Rufous Hummingbirds), May Banding Workshop, Mulgrave School visit, Downy Woodpecker (4th year female with brood patch), Sharp-shinned Hawks (second year male & adult female), Brown-headed Cowbirds (male & female), Purple Finch (second year & after second year males), Traill's Flycatcher, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Tree Swallow (ageing & sexing), Swainson's Thrush (retrapped 6 year old bird), Yellow-headed Blackbird.
2012 April	Overwintering Anna's Hummingbird, Black-capped & Chestnut-backed Chickadee molt limits, Red-wing Blackbirds (ASY / SY males and females), Oregon Junco (SY molt limits), Spotted Towhee (SY male showing eye colour and molt limit), Nashville, Orange-crowned. Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) and Wilson's Warblers (ASY males), Hermit Thrush (SY molt limit), Cassin's Vireo, House Wren, April Bird ID Workshop, American Tree Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing Recovery, Hammond's & Dusky Flycatchers, NAOC Conference.
2011 October	White-crowned, Golden-crowned and White-throated Sparrows (AHY and HY showing molt limits and pseudolimits), Orange-crowned Warbler (AHY and HY showing molt limits and tail shape), Audubon's Warbler (HY female showing molt limits and male/female plumage characteristics), Lincoln's Sparrow (HY showing molt limits and rectrices replacement), Red-winged Blackbird (AHY epaulettes), Leucistic Common Yellowthroat, bright Bewick's Wren and Purple Finch, Purple Finch male delayed plumage maturation, Anna's Hummingbird molt, bill deformities, TY Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (SY male), Wilson's Snipe, Western Wilderness Committee and Barn Swallow video production, BCIT field trip, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets (AHY males), Pine Siskin (AHY and HY showing molt limits and tail shape), Northern Shrike, Sharp-shinned Hawk (HY male), Varied Thrush (HY male)
September	Shaw TV, September Bird Monitoring and Banding Workshop, visiting British Ringer Tim Ball, Black-headed Grosbeaks – photos of fat deposits, MacGillivray’s and Nashville Warblers (HY females), Western Tanager (HY male), Black-headed Grosbeak and Eastern Kingbird in juvenile plumages. Western Wood-Pewee (HY), Pacific-slope and Willow Flycatchers side by side, Dusky Flycatcher, Common Yellowthroat (AHY female with receding BP and worn flight feathers), Savannah Sparrow (HY molt limits), Warbling Vireo (P10 photo), Pacific Wren (HY).
August	Molt and molt limits in the making in Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Lincoln's Sparrow, Purple Finch and Swainson's Thrush. White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows in juvenal plumage, WRA colour banded American Robin, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and nictitating membrane, Confusing 'Traill's' Flycatcher, HY Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Gabriel Jamie from Cambridge University.
July	Yellow Warbler - prealternate molt, Northern Flicker molt, Downy Woodpecker (hatch year male and female), Hatch Year birds and characteristics of birds in juvenal plumage, July visitors including Catching the Spirit Youth Group, Western Wilderness Committee and Global TV film crews, Eastern Kingbird (SY female showing molt and P10), Bewick's and Marsh Wren, Lazuli Bunting (SY male showing molt)
June	Sexing monomorphic species during the breeding season, locally hatched and birds in juvenal plumage, more confusing Empids (Willow/Alder Flycatcher), Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, photo essay on Cowbirds, Cedar Waxwings and Hummingbirds, Evening Grosbeak, Northern Harrier and Lazuli Bunting.
May	Discussion on Hammond's vs. Dusky Flycatchers, May Banding Workshop, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, White-crowned Sparrow (hindcrown), SY female Cooper's Hawk, Hermit Thrush (showing wing molt), Record Day, spring migrants including MacGillivray's and Nashville Warblers, Western Meadowlark, red-breasted Nuthatch, UFV biology students field trip.
April	Frozen nets, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Bluebird, Northern Shrike, Sharp-shinned Hawk (SY female), Yellow-rumped Warblers (AUWA & MYWA), BCIT students, Violet-green Swallow, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrows (Sooty & Slate-colored), Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Hermit Thrush
March	CF site prep, Tree Swallows, Bewick's Wren, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Song Sparrow ageing, Song Sparrow and Spotted Towhee eye colour, American Goldfinch, First Savannah Sparrow
February	Red-winged Blackbirds, early spring migrants
January	Black-capped Chickadee - Photo essay

2010 October	Colony Farm season totals, New species banded 2010, Other birds of interest.
September	September totals, Long-eared Owl, Northern Waterthrush, Hammond's Flycatcher, Band-tailed Pigeon.
August	August totals, Traill's Flycatcher molt, first Northern Waterthrush banded, House Wren
June	June totals, First Eastern Kingbirds and Western Tanagers of the season, BREWER'S SPARROW banded, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Chat sightings,
April	Spring migration begins with the first big push of Yellow-rumped Warblers
March	Preparation at Colony Farm for spring migration banding