HELENA — Bird lovers have a chance to get an up-close look at science in action this summer at Spring Meadow Lake State Park, where experts are helping track Montana's feathered friends.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists and volunteers are banding birds to gain a broader understanding of their movements, health, and populations over time.
(WATCH: Bird banding provides data and hands-on learning in Montana)
Allison Begley, an avian conservation biologist with FWP, shared, “I think a bird in the hand is a way to build a conservationist, and getting to see these birds that you only see fly by quickly is eye-opening for a lot of people.
It all starts with 10 thin nets set up throughout the park over the course of six hours. The birds are then taken from the net and put into a bag to keep them cool and calm.
Each bird has a small, uniquely numbered band attached to the leg, which will help to track their movements and behaviors over time, before releasing the banded birds back into the wild.
“It is an opportunity to recapture some of those birds and know how long they can live, if they are breeding or not,” Begley noted.
But it's not just for FWP; the public is able to watch the process and help with the releases.
Leyla Tabor has been attending for four years and says the feeling of being a part of it is all about: “joy, we came here, and I was really excited because I love birds so much.”
The program is all a part of MAPS, Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship.
Begley said, “Our information feeds into a larger database that will help look at the phenology or timing of birds arriving, nesting, species shifts.”
Biologists and volunteers say banding days are critical not only to understanding the birds but also to understanding what the future holds.
Leslie Smith, the board president with Last Chance Audubon, expressed, “to see the interaction between the people and the birds, that is what we need more of.”
The next bird-banding event for the public to attend at Montana Wild is set for June 23.
