Patuxent Wildlife Research Center The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory An Integrated Scientific Program Supporting Research and Conservation of North American Birds Open-File Report 2013–1238 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory: An Integrated Scientific Program Supporting Research and Conservation of North American Birds By Gregory J. Smith Open-File Report 2013–1238 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. 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Suggested citation: Smith, G.J., 2013, The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory: An integrated scientific program supporting research and conservation of North American birds: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013–1238, 88 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1238/. iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Comprehensive Review of the Bird Banding Laboratory ..............................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Bird Banding Laboratory Stakeholders ......................................................................................................2 Bird Management and Conservation Agencies ..............................................................................2 Research Scientists..............................................................................................................................3 Avocational Banders ............................................................................................................................3 Recent Bird Banding Laboratory Advancements and U.S. Geological Survey Investments ............3 Permits ....................................................................................................................................................5 Funding ...................................................................................................................................................6 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................................................6 Appendix 1. Summary of Bird Banding Laboratory Activities in Response to the Recommendations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act Report ........................................9 Appendix 2. Scientific Publications Supported by Bird Banding Efforts ........................................21 Figures 1. U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory funding, fiscal year (FY) 1997 to FY 2012 ........................................................................................................................................7 2. U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory funding and expenditures from fiscal year (FY) 2004 to FY 2012. .........................................................................................7 iv (This page intentionally left blank.) The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory: An Integrated Scientific Program Supporting Research and Conservation of North American Birds By Gregory J. Smith Abstract and located at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) in Laurel, Maryland. Recommendations that have not The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird Banding been implemented include those already addressed by other Laboratory (BBL) was established in 1920 after ratification organizations, as well as lower priority, such as developing a of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the United Kingdom BBL business plan. in 1918. During World War II, the BBL was moved from The comprehensive review and recommendations of the Washington, D.C., to what is now the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Committee, the response of the BBL to address the Com- Research Center (PWRC). The BBL issues permits and bands mittee’s recommendations, and other improvements to its to permittees to band birds, records bird band recoveries or operations have positioned the BBL to provide a high level of encounters primarily through telephone and Internet reporting, service to the banding community. As new technologies are and manages more than 72 million banding records and more developed and incorporated into BBL operations, further effi- than 4.5 million records of encounters using state-of-the-art ciencies are expected to enable the BBL to continue to meet technologies. Moreover, the BBL also issues bands and man- emerging scientific needs. ages banding and encounter data for the Canadian Bird Band- ing Office (BBO). Each year approximately 1 million bands are shipped from the BBL to banders in the United States and Introduction Canada, and nearly 100,000 encounter reports are entered into the BBL systems. Banding data are essential for regulatory Comprehensive Review of the Bird Banding programs, especially migratory waterfowl harvest regulations. The USGS BBL works closely with the U.S. Fish and Laboratory Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop regulations for the cap- Bird banding and marking are scientific methods used ture, handling, banding, and marking of birds. These regula- to determine location, range, population size, migration, tions are published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). behavior, and other parameters for avian species and specific In 2006, the BBL and the USFWS Division of Migratory Bird populations. First determined as a Federal responsibility for Management (DMBM) began a comprehensive revision of the migratory birds in 1920, the BBL was originally located in banding regulations. Washington, D.C., and was later moved to the Patuxent Wild- The bird banding community has three major constitu- life Research Center (PWRC) in Laurel, Maryland, during encies: Federal and State agency personnel involved in the World War II. Bird banding and the U.S. Geological Survey management and conservation of bird populations that include (USGS) Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) have become critical the Flyway Councils, ornithological research scientists, and assets for managing waterfowl and other migratory gamebird avocational banders. populations, assisting in the recovery of Federally endangered With increased demand for banding activities and and threatened species, supporting ornithological research relatively constant funding, a Federal Advisory Committee activities, and promoting the conservation of migratory birds. (Committee) was chartered and reviewed the BBL program The BBL provides bands at no cost to permitted band- in 2005. The final report of the Committee included six major ers in the U.S. and Canada. Currently (2013), approximately goals and 58 specific recommendations, 47 of which have 1,630 Master Banders hold permits and approximately 5,050 been addressed by the BBL. Specifically, the Committee banders hold subpermits. The BBL issues approximately 1 recommended the BBL continue to support science, conser- million bands and receives about 100,000 reports of banded vation, and management of birds through the use of banding birds or encounters each year. The BBL manages the banding and banding data and that the BBL be managed by the USGS 2 The U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory: An Integrated Scientific Program data for Canada as well, and the database now includes more Purpose and Scope than 72 million banding records and 4.5 million encounter records. These data complement the related databases man- This report provides a comprehensive synthesis of the aged and analyzed by the USGS PWRC that include the North changes and new procedures implemented by the USGS Bird American Phenology Network with 6 million records and Banding Laboratory in response to the 2008 report issued by the North American Breeding Bird Survey with 78 million the Federal Advisory Committee (Haseltine and others, 2008) records. Having these large-scale databases within the USGS to define a vision for the BBL over the next 10 to 15 years and associated with USGS landscape assets, such as the USGS (see appendix 1). It describes the response of the BBL to the Landsat 8, creates scientific synergy for avian ecological recommendations of the Federal Advisory Committee as well research that is available nowhere else. as the integral scientific role of the BBL in the avian ecologi- Over the past 93 years, the BBL has evolved to keep cal scientific