Why is studying and banding the painted
buntings important? Although painted buntings on
Kiawah appear to be doing well, the eastern population as
a whole has shown steady, long-term decline over the past
several decades. Banding allows us to study several aspects
of their life history including survival, productivity, site
fidelity, movements and, in some cases, even population
densities. The information gathered by monitoring these
things can help us better understand painted buntings on
Kiawah Island and will allow us to take action through
increased habitat preservation or improvements if numbers
start to decline.
What information do you record about painted
buntings when you capture them? The date, time of
capture and band number is recorded on the data sheet.
The bird’s age and sex is also recorded. Additionally,
morphological measurements are taken and wing chord,
mass and fat is recorded. Other information about feather
molt and breeding condition is noted.
What instruments do you use in your
examination of the birds? A special pair of pliers is
used to apply the band to the bird’s leg. These pliers
are designed to crimp the band around the leg allowing
the band to spin freely and move up and down the leg.
The birds are placed in a PVC tube on a digital scale for
weighing. A wing rule is used to measure the bird’s wing
chord. The bend of the wing is pressed up against a stop at
the end of the ruler allowing for an accurate measurement.
None of the capturing, examining or measuring disturbs or
makes the birds uncomfortable at all.
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