Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS)

In partnership with Jefferson County Greenways Commission, we started a MAPS banding station at Ruffner Mountain in 2023. MAPS is a continent-wide collaboration aimed at understanding and conserving bird populations and their habitats. We record data that can be used to estimate things like productivity and survival, which can then tell us more about which life stages are most important in driving population changes. You can read more about the MAPS program here.

In 2023 we banded 122 birds of 25 species. Our most common species were Northern Cardinal, White-eyed Vireo, Carolina Wren and Kentucky Warbler. We recaptured 27 individuals.

In 2024 we banded 113 birds of 18 species. Our most common species were Hooded Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren. We recaptured 36 individuals, 16 of which were banded in 2023: 4 Carolina Wrens, 2 Eastern Towhees, 1 Northern Cardinal, 4 Kentucky Warblers, 1 Swainson’s Warbler, and 4 White-eyed Vireos. Check out this overview written by Jefferson County Greenways Commission’s Jamie Nobles!

Spring & Fall Banding on the Coast

The Alabama Coast is an important stopover location for neotropical migrants. For many birds, it may be the first land they stop at after a long migration over the Gulf of Mexico in the spring, or the last stop to rest and refuel before continuing migration in the fall. Conducting banding during migration can help us understand more about bird health, migration phenology, and stopover site fidelity.

Every year we conduct songbird banding for one week during spring migration at Fort Morgan and one week during fall migration at the Audubon Sanctuary on Dauphin Island.

In spring 2024 we caught 52 species, banded 362 birds and recaptured 37 previously banded birds. Our most common species was the Gray Catbird. Two interesting recaptures were a Gray Catbird that was banded in Michigan in May 2023 and a Brown Thrasher that our team banded at Fort Morgan in April 2018 when it was an adult bird, making it at least 8 years old.

These efforts are thanks to partnerships with Mississippi State University, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Fort Morgan Historic Site, USFWS, and the town of Dauphin Island. We are thankful to Alabama Tourism, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation, and the Alabama Power Foundation for their support. Thanks to our 2024 sponsors: Saunders Yachtworks, and Bill and Paula Barnhill.