Bird Research in Action!

We are excited to be celebrating ten years of bird banding here at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary! In 2014, we re-established a bird banding station to study the migration of songbirds. However, the Sanctuary has a long history of monitoring bird populations through banding, most notably the research done by Dr. Oliver Austin, Jr. from 1928-1958. Much has changed since that time and the data we are gathering is helping us understand just how much it has changed.

Mist nets are set up on the property during spring and fall migrations and are managed by James Junda, Licensed Master Bander. Come meet James and the rest of the bird banding team and learn about banding methods and the information gathered from this research. You will likely get to see live birds up-close and observe the banding process. The welfare of the birds is our priority and we cannot guarantee live birds will be observed in-the-hand.