Bird Banding – Spring 2017

Prepared by Nick Kerlin Bander-in-Charge June 2017 General

The bird banding component of the Avian Education Program of The Arboretum at Penn State operated for a total of 14 days between March 29 and May 11, 2017. A total of 249 birds of 38 species were processed during this period. Of these, 209 were new banded birds. This was the third lowest number of new individuals handled in the past seven spring seasons and seven higher than average for number of species. It was considered to be a slow spring banding season.

The banding area was the same location used in past years, located adjacent to the Bellefonte-Central Rail Trail in Big Hollow, approximately 0.5 mile NW of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. The area consists of former pasture lands populated primarily with invasive shrub species (privet, autumn olive, multiflora rose) adjacent to crop land and small woodlots of predominately mature white oak.

A total of ten mist nets (12-meter length each) were used. Banding headquarters was located at the pavilion of the Air Quality Learning and Demonstration Center.

Effort

The 14 days of banding utilized 10 nets, opened generally from 6:30 am to 11 am. Total net hours were 500 which resulted in a capture rate of 50 new birds/100 net hours. This is 44 more net hours than the seven year average and three less birds/100 net hours. Capture rate compares favorably with other northeastern U.S. banding stations during the same period.

Best day for total number of birds was May 1 with 42 individuals handled. Thirty-eight different species were handled this spring. A total of 209 birds were newly banded and 40 birds were recaptures from previous years. (See Figures # 2 and 3).

Weather

Weather always plays a part in bird banding, but more so this season than others. Three days were cancelled due to rain and one day was shortened due to wind and rain. Variable spring conditions prevailed on other days (windy, rain, cold with frost to mild and sunny).

Comments on the Season

Top five most abundant new banded birds:

White-throated Sparrow 50 Gray Catbird 28 American Robin 17 Song Sparrow 12 Northern Cardinal 12

Top Five “Best Birds”

This arbitrary listing is based on volunteers’ choices: Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Nashville Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler

New Species

One new banded species was added this season: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. This makes a total of 82 species banded since 2010.

Recaptures/Recoveries

Forty birds of 14 species were recaptured at the site from previous years or this year’s banding. This amounted to 16% of total birds handled during the spring season.

Notable recaptures as to age are as follows:

• Northern Cardinal banded 3/31/2012 • American Robin banded 4/9/2012 • Gray Catbird banded 5/2/2012

There were two foreign (outside local area) recaptures/recoveries of birds previously banded at the Arboretum.

• An American Goldfinch banded 2/26/2015 was reported “killed by a cat” on 4/22/2017 in Sugar Run (Bradford County), Pennsylvania. Location is approximately 102 miles northeast of the Arboretum.

• A White-throated Sparrow banded 4/8/2017 was recaptured (then released) at McGill Bird Observatory, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec (west of Montreal), Canada on 5/6/2017. Location is approximately 376 miles northeast of the Arboretum.

Problems

Minor vandalism occurred for the second straight year with a metal sign and three mounting posts. Three posts (used for posting banding operations) were stolen or broken. A directional sign along the rail trail access was stolen and mounting post broken in half.

Data Submissions

Data of all banding was submitted at the end of the spring season to the Bird Banding Lab of the US Geological Survey as required per federal permit regulations. Similar data for the 2016 season (spring and fall) was submitted to the PA Game Commission as required per state permit requirements. Reports of banding totals and birds observed were submitted at the end of each banding day to eBird, the online database of bird observations operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Similar data was also submitted to the State College Bird Club listserv.

Research

Feather Collecting

The banding program began assisting with the Genoscape Project of the Center for Tropical Research of the University of California Los Angeles by collecting feather samples via the project protocol. The goal of the project is to “map the population-specific migratory routes of ...... migratory songbirds by harnessing the power of genomics.” Further information can be found at https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/project/bird-genoscape- project/.

Poster Presentation

Undergraduate student Emily Donahue was the first student to utilize Arboretum banding data via a poster presentation as part of the 2017 Research Expo of the Penn State College of Agriculture. Her poster “Quantifying Avian Migration Patterns and Local Weather Effects” won her prize honors in the competition.

Figure 1 - Emily Donahue and award winning poster

Visitors and Volunteers

Visitors

A total of 194 people visited the banding operations, including the following scheduled groups: PSU WFS 406 class, Delta Program-State College Area School District, PSU Bennett Family Center Kindergarten, Centre Learning Community Charter School. Volunteers

Twenty-four volunteers (Penn State students and others) provided 390 hours of volunteer time in extracting birds from nets, processing, record keeping, daily set-up and take-down, and educational contact with visitors. Many thanks to them all: Matt Brener, Margaret Brittingham, Brandon Buckley, Kathryn Carruba, Alex Catto, Amanda Cox, Wendy Davis, Chelsea DeMarco, Emily Donahue, James Frye, Samantha Goebel, Abby Hileman , Nick Kerlin, Larry Koehler, Jessica Kuo, Craig and Jean Miller, Alisa Pendorf, Alyss Radovenovich, Bobby Schultz, Katie Smith, Jessica Sourba, Austin Swanson, Matt Toenies, Danielle Williams, Nathan Wilson.

Cover page photo: Common Yellowthroat Spring 2017 Species/Numbers Handled at Air Quality Site Individuals 29-Mar 31-Mar 4-Apr 6-Apr 8-Apr 11-Apr 13-Apr 14-Apr 18-Apr 20-Apr 24-Apr 27-Apr 1-May 3-May 5-May 8-May 11-May Total New Banded Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 M. Dov e CNX CNX 1 CNX 1 Dow ny Woodpecker 1 1 Red-bellied Wd. 1 1 Y.S. Flicker Least Fly catcher Traill's Fly catcher Willow Fly catcher E.Phoebe 2 2 Blue-Headed Vireo 1 1 2 Red-ey ed Vireo T. Titmouse 1 1 2 B.C.Chickadee 8 1 1 10 WB Nuthatch Brow n Creeper 1 1 Carolina Wren House Wren 1 1 G.C. Kinglet 1 1 Ruby C. Kinglet 1 2 3 3 2 11 B.G. Gnatcatcher 1 1 Blue Jay 1 1 2 Eastern Bluebird Veery 1 1 Hermit Thrush 1 1 1 1 3 7 Wood Thrush 2 1 3 Am. Robin 3 2 2 2 2 3 1 1 1 17 Brow n Thrasher 2 1 1 4 Gray Catbird 2 17 2 6 1 28 N.Mockingbird 1 1 Cedar Wax w ing 2 2 Blue-w gd.Warbler Nashv ille W. 1 1 Chestnut-sided W. Yellow W. 1 1 Magnolia W. Black-thrtd.Blue W. 1 1 Y.R. Warbler 2 2 B & W Warbler 1 1 2 Am. Redstart 1 1 Worm-eating W. Ov enbird 1 2 2 1 6 N.Waterthrush C.Yellow throat 1 1 2 Wilson's W. Canada W. E.Tow hee 1 1 2 1 5 Chipping Sp. Field Sp. 1 1 Fox Sp. 2 2 Song Sp. 4 1 1 6 12 Lincoln's Sp. Sw amp Sp. White-thrtd. Sp. 4 3 1 1 2 5 4 2 12 8 5 2 1 50 White-crow ned Sp. S.C.Junco 1 1 N. Cardinal 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 12 Rose-B.Grosbeak Com Grackle Red-w gd Blackbird B.H.Cow bird 1 1 Baltimore Oriole Am. Goldfinch 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 10 Number of New Banded 25 X 5X 10 14 8 18 16 13 6 22 35 15 X 15 7 209

Figure 2 - Spring 2017 New Bandings

Individuals Spring 2017 29-Mar 31-Mar 4-Apr 6-Apr 8-Apr 11-Apr 13-Apr 14-Apr 18-Apr 20-Apr 24-Apr 27-Apr 1-May 3-May 5-May 8-May 11-May Total Recaptures Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 RC Kinglet 1 1 E.Phoebe Red-bellied Wd.

Y.S. Flicker Blue Jay T. Titmouse 1 1 B.C.Chickadee 1 1 2 W.B.Nuthatch 1 1 RC Kinglet 1 1 Carolina Wren Hermit Thrush 1 1 2 Wood Thrush 2 1 2 3 8 Am. Robin 1 1 1 3 Gray Catbird 5 2 1 1 9 Brow n Thrasher 1 1 1 1 4 Cedar Wax w ing N.Cardinal 1 1 1 1 4 E. Tow hee 1 1 2 Field Sp. 1 1 Fox Sp. Song Sp. 1 1 Sw amp Sp. White-thrtd. Sp. Am.Goldfinch Number of Recaptures Handled 3 x 1 X 2 0 0 3 3 4 2 1 7 5 4 5 40 Individuals 29-Mar 31-Mar 4-Apr 6-Apr 8-Apr 11-Apr 13-Apr 14-Apr 18-Apr 20-Apr 24-Apr 27-Apr 1-May 3-May 5-May 8-May 11-May Total Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 13 Day 14 TOTAL Birds Handled 28 x 6 x 12 14 8 21 19 17 8 23 42 20 x 19 12 249 m.sunny ov.cast CNX breezy sunny , lt. cloudy v .cold, cool, rain p.sunny , m.cloudy sunny cloudy , cloudy , cloudy , cloudy , CNX mod. CNX lt.wind Rain frost, breeze, to m. breezy , close Weather lt. w indy lt.w ind lt.w ind cool humid humid w indy Rain w ind Rain w ind sunny w arm sunny sunny early rain early

Figure 3 - Spring 2017 Recaptures