Western Bird Banding Association

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Western Bird Banding Association

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Throughout the Americas, we aim to encourage and promote bird banding as a useful tool in the study of the biology and migration of western birds.

Bird banding in North America has had
a long and distinguished history. It is
widely held that John James Audubon
was the first American ornithologist to employ
the technique (as early as 1803) when he
marked a brood of Eastern Phoebes with silver
wire. Thus he was able to follow these birds
through the wooded Pennsylvania countryside
of his youth. A nationwide banding program was
established in 1909 by the American Bird
Banding Association. In 1920, the Biological
Survey (which later became part of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service) took
over the administration of banding in the U.S. The Western Bird Banding Association was
formed in 1925 to provide guidance and
assistance to a relatively small number of
western bird ba**ers, located then primarily in
Southern California. Now an international
organization, membership has grown to
include ba**ers throughout the Western
Hemisphere. Through various awards, the Association
provides support for the development of new
banding techniques and incentives for aspiring
students and amateurs.

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from all of us at Western Bird Banding Association! If you’re a bird ba**er, you probably know just how scary this bird and its close relatives can be when in the hand…

This After Second Year (DCA) male Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) was banded by Rio Grande Bird Research Inc. this past summer during the MAPS banding season. As you can probably tell by the name grosbeak and their appearance, this species has a thick and scary beak that can do some damage! These extremely strong beaks are designed to crush very hard seeds which make up a large part of their diet. That beak is also a great way to defend yourself!

Black-headed Grosbeaks (BHGRs) are found throughout the western half of the US, central Mexico, and small parts of southwestern Canada. They are the western counterpart to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak who is found in the eastern half of North America, and the two species are known to hybridize where their ranges overlap in the central US.

Large numbers of these birds winter in the mountains of central Mexico including the areas where Monarch butterflies overwinter. BHGRs are one of the few animal species able to deal with the toxins found within the bodies of Monarchs but can only eat them in 8 day cycles to allow their bodies to neutralize the toxins.

What birds remind you of Halloween?? Photo taken by Jason Kitting.

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

10/16/2026

Have you seen any birds with unusual white patches/coloration? Well it’s more common than you think! Some thrasher researchers in Arizona have been seeing some white birds while conducting their work.

“In May of 2026, there were two reports of three individual leucistic curve-billed thrashers identified and documented in southern Arizona by. One individual reported by a local birder in Green Valley, and two individuals in a rural residential area in Catalina - assumeably from the same clutch. Of the two birds in Catalina, one bird was banded along with feather and blood samples taken in hope to learn more about this particular individual. Behavioral monitoring continues of both birds and the extended family groups within the area of Catalina.

In central Arizona on June 17, 2012, a fully leucistic juvenile curve-billed thrasher was photographed in high desert habitat. The bird appeared almost completely white but retained normal eye coloration, confirming leucism rather than albinism. The observation was later shared on BirdForum and became one of a widely referenced examples of leucism in this species.

Additional pale or partially leucistic thrashers have occasionally been noted in parts of New Mexico, southern Texas, and throughout the Sonoran Desert region where curve-billed thrashers are common residents. Many sightings come from suburban neighborhoods in cities such as Phoenix, Tucson, Kerney, and El Paso, where bird feeders and desert landscaping make these birds easier to observe.

Because curve-billed thrashers rely on camouflage in desert scrub and cactus habitats, leucistic individuals may face greater risks from predators. However, many documented birds appear healthy and capable of surviving in the wild, especially in urban desert environments where predator pressure may be lower. Their unusual white plumage makes them memorable among birders and highlights the remarkable genetic diversity found within wild bird populations.”

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

10/09/2026

Sometimes birds young birds end up in some weird situations! These American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) were some examples of young birds getting into trouble, but that can be a chance for scientists to learn more about the species! Wildlife biologist Josh Fife from Utah sent us this story about scientists collaborating with wildlife rehabbers.

“We’ve had a bunch of Hatch Year pelicans show up in weird places with no obvious injuries. We’re not sure if it’s drought, resources, or inexperienced birds just learning how to be birds. The Utah Devision of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) transports the birds to wildlife rehabbers and the Utah Wildlife Foundation Rehabbers, they then let me (Josh Fife) know that two birds were ready for release. We worked with them to put bands and CTT GPS tags to see where they go. The tags are part of an older project that helps us understand their movement since the Salt Lake appears to be important for breeding.

here’s an article: https://www.ksl.com/article/news/outdoors/want-to-track-pelican-migrations-dwr-has-a-website-for-that/46428309 (link in our bio on instagram)

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

08/12/2026

It’s that time of year again! Join us at the Western Bird Banding Association Annual Meeting in beautiful Alberta, Canada! This meeting will be held at Waterton Lakes National Park, where the mountains meet the prairies!

See link below to access the registration form (link in bio on Instagram).

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKCsysqWWr-3HJS6emblrjEAo2Qja9kPYdAwxBSYARLFK-2Q/viewform

Our 2026 Annual meeting will take place from Aug 21-23 and will feature banding workshops taking place at Wishbone MAPS Station. Accommodations will be provided as part of the meeting registration fee and will be at the Belly River Group Campground, near the Chief Mountain Border Crossing (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights). This is a primitive campground: tents and RVs can be accommodated, but there are no electricity, water, or sewer hookups, dry toilets only, and bring your own water. If you wish for alternative accommodation, please make your own arrangements. Visit the Waterton Tourism site for more lodging options in the area.

05/11/2026

This past weekend was definitely a bird one for humans and birds. We hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Mother’s Day yesterday, and on top of that, Saturday was World Migratory Bird Day! Did you band (or even just see) any migrants this weekend? Let us know what migrants you saw in the comments!

Researchers at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada encountered this beautiful After Second Year (DCA) male Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) while banding for World Migratory Bird Day. This species is traditionally thought of as an eastern species, but in recent years, Indigo Buntings (INBUs) have been expanding their range into the southwestern United States. They are now regular breeders (though they breed in small numbers in many of these areas) in states such as New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. They also regularly hybridize with their western counterpart, the Lazuli Bunting.

Thanks to Jason Kitting for providing this picture, and to all of the staff at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge! This refuge is specifically designed to support migratory birds of all kinds, and banding is just one tool used in better understanding what migratory birds need and how they use these critical habitats during migration.

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/06/2026

The hummingbirds are back! For most of us in North America, the iconic hummingbirds are finally arriving back at our feeders and flowers (or will be back very soon if you’re in the far north).

One of the first hummingbird species back to central New Mexico (and much of the interior-west) is the Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus). Rio Grande Bird Reseach Inc. banded this After Hatch Year male (top picture) in the fall of 2023. Thanks to Jason Kitting for the pictures of this beautiful bird!

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds (BTHUs) are true high elevation specialists and spend the majority of their yearly cycles in mountains. During the breeding season, they are found in the central mountains of the western US, from southern Montana down into western Texas. In winter, they are found throughout the mountains of Mexico and parts of western Guatemala.

An interesting fact about BTHUs is that the adult males have specially shaped outer primaries (bottom picture) that produce a loud ringing when in flight. This ringing is used during displays towards other males in territory disputes and to females during courtship. The ringing is also how this species earned their nickname, the “Mountain Zinger.”

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/02/2026

Spring is definitely in the air! Spring migration stations across North America are seeing more and more migrants as we enter the peak of spring migration for most of the US and Canada. What species most represents spring for your area or station?

Here’s a closer look at our logo species! Thanks to and Lauren Hill for providing us with this gorgeous picture of this bird. Let us know your favorite spring migrant in the comments!

The Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) is found breeding in mixed pine forest along the west coast and the mountains of the western US, Canada, and Mexico. These birds breed further north than any other North American tanager species. After breeding in the north, they then migrate south into Central America where they spend the winter. This is one of the few iconic western species, that at some point in its yearly cycle, can be found in every country and almost every state/province that falls within WBBA’s region. The only exception is Hawaii which has its own unique set of amazing bird species.

Western Tanagers (WETAs) are also unique in their striking coloration, or more specifically, the red in the males’ heads. If you are familiar with bird coloration, you may know that red, orange, pink, and yellow are produced by pigments called carotenoids which the birds get through the food they eat. WETAs also get these red pigments through their diet, but instead of using carotenoids like most birds, they use a relatively rare pigment called rhodoxanthin.

The Western Tanager reminds us that western North America has some truly unique bird life that also connects all of us both across the WBBA region, and across the North American continent as a whole.

04/22/2026

TOMORROW!!! We are presenting the last webinar in our 2025-2026 series next week, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 6 pm Pacific. We will hear about research funded partially by the WBBA grant program. If you can’t attend, the video will be posted on the WBBA website. Everyone is welcome to attend so please share this email with anyone that you think would be interested.

We will have two talks this session:

1) Lauren Hill, a recent Master’s graduate from UCLA, will be speaking about: Population structure of two songbird species migrating through a southern CA mountain pass (first picture).

2) Alejandro Baladrón, of the National University of Mar del Plata in Argentina, will be speaking about: Responses of birds inhabiting Pampas forests (second picture) to environmental change.

WBBA Webinar: WBBA grant recipients share their research When: Thursday, April 23, 2026 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting (or in our bio on Instagram):

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GUz4XEx_Q7-tcO3XHfha6g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the meeting.

Address

Richland, WA
99352, 99353, 99354

Website

http://www.westernbirdbanding.org/

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