BIRD BANDING, THE TELLTALE OF MIGRATORY FLIGHT 



103 



species. This is becoming more and more 

 important in view of man's encroachment 

 on the few remaining wild places of 

 America, extending to include the ex- 

 ploitation of Arctic lands. 



In order that direct efforts might be 

 made to supply information about our 

 migratory bird life, the Biological Survey 

 took over the activities of the American 

 Bird Banding Association and became a 

 clearing house for information concerning 

 this work. 



As the majority of birds banded are 

 migratory species protected by Federal 

 law, it also is legally necessary that each 

 cotiperator obtain from the Department 

 of Agriculture a permit to capture the 

 birds. At present nearly i ,200 banding 

 stations are in operation in all parts of the 

 country. 



The Biological Survey supplies the op- 

 erator with instructions and several sizes 

 of serially numbered aluminum bands. 

 The operator sends the data regarding 

 each individual bird banded to the Bureau, 

 which has established an indexed card file 

 of such records. 



Widespread interest is expressed in re- 

 ports of the capture of banded birds, of 

 which 13,794, representing about 200 

 species, have been retaken, either alive or 

 dead. When an American banded bird is 

 taken, its band number and the date and 

 locality in which it was found are com- 

 municated to the Biological Survey. The 

 Bureau informs the finder of the origin 

 of the bird, and also notifies the bander 

 of the circumstances of its capture. The 

 notice of capture may come from a neigh- 

 bor or it may come from an American 

 consul in some remote corner of Spanish 

 America. 



TRAPPING AND BANDING FASCINATE 

 INVESTIGATORS 



Even on a town lot, trapping and band- 

 ing such wild, elusive creatures as birds 

 have the elements of romance and adven- 

 ture. These are increased in relation to 

 the remoteness and wilder aspects of the 

 surroundings where the work is done. 



The recapture, after a long absence, of 

 birds where they were banded is a joyful 

 event. Since last seen the little wanderer 

 may have visited the desolate shore of the 

 Arctic Ocean or may have sojourned in 



the luxuriant tropical forests luider the 

 h^quator. 



Bird banding opens the door to an inti- 

 mate knowledge of wild birds in a manner 

 and on a scale hitherto impossible. It 

 fascinates all who engage in it. Not only 

 may definite answers lie found to prob- 

 lems formerly unanswerable, but the in- 

 vestigator has the added joy of pitting his 

 wits against those of wild things in their 

 capture. This gives an outlet to that 

 spirit of the chase which has come down 

 to most of us from our primitive ances- 

 tors, and is one of its delightful but harm- 

 less manifestations, to be classed with the 

 sport of wild-life photography. 



BANDING DOES NOT INJURE BIRDS 



Endless opportunity is open for the im- 

 pro\ement of traps and methods of op- 

 eration, and one of the strongest appeals 

 of all in the work is the opportunity it 

 affords to hold in hand and become inti- 

 mately acquainted with our charming 

 woodland friends. 



Experience has proved that the trap- 

 ping, handling, and banding of birds 

 neither harms nor seriously alarms them. 

 In fact, a bird-trapping and Isanding sta- 

 tion may be beneficial to l)irds, and serve 

 as the direct cause of a local increase in 

 their numbers. The supply of food con- 

 tinually renewed at the traps and the con- 

 stant guard that is kept against the incur- 

 sions of cats and other enemies render the 

 vicinity of such stations an effective sanc- 

 tuary. 



Every bird bander becomes a zealous 

 defender of his wards, and enemies soon 

 learn that absence from his premises is 

 the better part of valor, since trespassers 

 often suffer death. 



There is real danger to trapped birds 

 if they are not well protected against 

 jirowling cats and dogs by a suitable guard 

 fence or vigilant watch. Automatic traps 

 are indiscriminate in their captures and at 

 times take in undesirable visitors, such as 

 red and gray squirrels, ground squirrels, 

 small rabbits, rats, mice, house cats, small 

 skunks, and snakes. A five- foot rattlesnake 

 was found in a Quail trap in Georgia. 



Trapping and handling creatures as 

 delicate as birds for a time raised antag- 

 onism in the minds of many bird lovers, 

 but the experience of one woman who is 



