| On
11 Oct 2005, a White-throated Sparrow became the 25,000th bird banded by
the Rouge River Bird Observatory on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. |
 |
RRBO began in the fall of 1992 banding
just a few hours a week. Coverage has grown steadily, and we now
band for at least 4 hours per day, at least 5 days a week during spring
and fall migration. We are the only major bird observatory concentrating
on the importance of urban natural areas to migratory birds, and our
research focus is on the stopover ecology of migrant birds, particularly
Neotropical migrants.
 |
Serious, sedate photo
Today's banding crew with bird
#25,000. Standing: Rachel Bricklin,
Julie Craves (with bird), and Beth
Johnson. Kneeling: Sally Petrella. |
 |
Not so serious photo
Rachel, Beth, The Bird, Julie, and Sally |
Since
1992...
-
RRBO has banded 120 species, including
Michigan's first record of Virginia's
Warbler. Other interesting birds included a Yellow-shafted/Red-shafted
Flicker intergrade, the eastern
race of Palm Warbler, and two possible Western
Wood-Pewees.
-
More than 2,700 Gray Catbirds have been
banded, our most numerous species (here's a list of the most
commonly banded birds).
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26 of our birds have been recovered elsewhere,
12 outside Michigan. Most exciting was a Yellow-rumped Warbler we
banded in May 1997 that was captured and released by another bander in
Tallahassee, FL in March 1998 (here's a complete list of banding
recoveries).
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Over 300 migrant birds have been recaptured
in subsequent years, including:
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141 Gray Catbirds (winter in extreme southern
U.S. through central Panama, Bermuda, and the Greater Antilles)
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7 Red-eyed Vireos (winter western Amazonia)
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1 Eastern Kingbird (winters South America,
mostly Peru and Brazil)
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9 Wood Thrush (winter in eastern Mexico
through northwest Columbia)
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4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (winter central
Mexico through northern S. America)
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6 Yellow Warblers (winters Central America
and the West Indies south to northern Peru)
Special
Thanks
RRBO operates as a donor-funded research program.
This milestone could not have been reached without generosity of hundreds
of people who have believed in our mission and supported us so generously
all these years.
Nor could we have gotten to this point
without the help of nearly 100 volunteers who tolerated early mornings,
mosquitoes, poison ivy, and berry-stained clothes (and hands, and pants,
and...) to assist with this important project. We would like to thank
the following dedicated volunteers, without whom RRBO would not be possible
(bold = current banders who have been
volunteering since at least our 10,000th bird in 1998):
Terry Angevine, Dea Armstrong,
Karen Babicz, Lisa Bagchi, Cheryl Balint, Becky Barrett, Dave Bedell, Jan
Blaine, Jeff Boettner, Mary Bohling, Chris Bommarito, Nancy Brown, Jim
Carbone, Darlene Canales, Allen Chartier, Mike Clipper, Paul Cypher, Andy
Dettling, Mark Dettling, Tom Dietsch, Lynette Drobyshewski, Carolyn
Duda, Carol Dunn, Robert Everson, Anne-Marie Feliks, Marj Ferguson, Julee
Gloster, Brian Gondek, Jim Gruber, Frank Gunnip, Kim Hall, Mike Harhold,
Carolyn Henne, Christine Hofer, Stacy Horstman, Gary Hutman, Jay Ingram,
Mark Irish, Julie Jedlicka, Beth Johnson, Laura Kearns, Matt Kleitch, Beryl
Krasner, Andrea Kraveljik, Michelle Lesperance, Steve Locke, John Lowry,
Dave Maurice, Fred McDonald, Kathy McElroy, Dorothy McLeer, Mike
Mencotti, David Miller, Karen Niemec, Greg Norwood, Darrin O'Brien,
Jim O'Callaghan, Marci Oldford, Joan Olkowski, Elan Oneal, Jeff Ouimet,
Chris Oxley, Nancy Parachini, Allison Parker-McCormick, Mike Perrin, Dawn
Perry, Sally Petrella, Dimas Pioli, Laura Pollitz, Liz Rashid, Susanne
Sadik, Jerry Sadowski, Jeff Schultz, Irene Sikora, Janelle Smith, Pam St.
Amour, Mike Truchan, Suzanne Vedder, Blanche Wicke, Mary Wise, Julian Wood,
Don Yee.
To all, our heartfelt thanks!
Rouge
River Bird Observatory,
Natural Areas
Dept., University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128
Created October 2005
