Western Bird Banding Association

Western Bird Banding Association 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.
(1)

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 1

909 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 banders, located then primarily in
Southern California. Now an international
organization, membership has grown to
include banders 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.

It’s that time of year again! Join us at the Western Bird Banding Association Annual Meeting in beautiful Alberta, Cana...
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.

This past weekend was definitely a bird one for humans and birds. We hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Mother’s Day...
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.

The hummingbirds are back! For most of us in North America, the iconic hummingbirds are finally arriving back at our fe...
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.

Spring is definitely in the air! Spring migration stations across North America are seeing more and more migrants as we...
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.

TOMORROW!!! We are presenting the last webinar in our 2025-2026 series next week, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 6 pm ...
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.

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Richland, WA
99352, 99353, 99354

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