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Introduction
 The St. Andrews Bird Banding Station started using mist-nets to capture and record data on local songbirds in 1989. Over the past 20 years, 20,200 birds representing 99 species have been banded. These totals make it the longest running, most productive active bird banding station in New Brunswick.
The banding season, which begins in May and runs until the end of October, is divided into three data collection periods. In the “Spring” (May and June) the Station collects bi-weekly data as birds migrate back to their breeding grounds. Data from the “Summer” (July – August) is contributed to The Institute of Bird Populations Monitoring Avian Productivity and Surviourship (MAPS) project and data from the “Fall” (September- October) is included in the Bird Studies Canada’s Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN).
Project History
In 2001, with support from the Bird Studies Canada Baillie Birdathon, the St. Andrews Bird Banding Station experimented with being able to operate on a daily basis in order to meet the requirements of the CMMN. This trial proved successful and with expanded support from NBWTF, the Station has become an associate member of the CMMN. It is New Brunswick’s only contributor to the nation-wide songbird-monitoring program.
“All monitoring programs require a long time-series of data before meaningful trends can be produced or interpreted. This is especially true for bird populations which typically show a lot of complex variations.” (John McCracken 2007. Taking Flight with the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network. Bird Watch Canada Winter 2007) .
The StABBS is a long-term project, and the eight years of daily fall migration coverage are starting to show trends.
Fall reports: 2009
2008
2007
Purpose for the Project - Why band songbirds?
Monitoring small inconspicuous songbirds that breed in Canada’s boreal forests is a challenge. Setting mist nets, opening them on a daily basis and checking them every 20 minutes is a time consuming way, but accurate way to collect data. A bird banding station requires special permits, specialized equipment, and a crew of trained field assistants. For the most part the work is not glamorous, the days start early, the hours are long and staff must constantly check the nets even if they are empty. Yet, the information that comes from bird banding stations is precise and can never be duplicated. Every bird captured adds something to our knowledge of that species.
While new technology with satellite transmitters can trace the daily routine of an individual bird, banding still provides important data on the age, sex and body condition of the overall population. This exact information can only be obtained by catching and handling the birds. Adding to this database each year increases its depth, and changes in songbird’s populations’ health and fluctuations can be “measured”, especially boreal forest species. The StABBS has been monitoring the fall migration of songbirds, along the coast of New Brunswick, since 1989 and plans to continue to operate and add to this database for years to come.
Insectivorous species such as flycatchers and swallows have been identified as “species of concern” by Bird Studies Canada and data collected at StABBS tend to support a major decline since 2000.
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Canada Warbler has also been identified by Bird Studies Canada as a “threatened” species due to rapid population declines over much of its range. While it is never a commonly banded “top-ten” species at St. Andrews enough birds are caught to see a downward trend to 2005 and then a slight recovery of numbers.
 Black-capped Chickadee populations are not under threat, but occasionally have major fall dispersal (2001) and the StABBS data shows weaker movements every second year.
These are a few examples of trends coming out of the StABBS data over the duration of the fall migration monitoring project. Each additional year of data makes analysis more interesting and long term trends more distinct.
Type of Data Recorded
Every bird captured will be taken to the “central banding station” to be examined. Each individual will then be identified, banded with a regular Canadian Wildlife Service aluminum band, aged, sexed, measured, weighed and given a fat score. Characteristics about its plumage will also be graded - feather wear, moult condition, moult limits, etc.
The following data will be summarized every day:
- total number of birds banded; HMa + HMb = Total banded
- total number of birds recaptured; HMa + HMb = Total recaptured
- total number of birds released unbanded; HMa + HMb = Total unbanded
- Grand Total = Total banded + Total recaptured + Total unbanded
- estimated totals of all bird species in the banding area – EDT
- probable known stopovers - PKS
- net hours (which nets open, when and for how long)
- weather (basic observations, with codes)
- interesting non-bird observations
- station activity – visitors, banding demonstration, etc.
Environmental Impact
 The environmental impact of this project is minimal as the net lanes are set and no new ones need to be cut. Vegetation is trimmed back about a meter from each mist net to prevent damage to the nets, and thus, injury to the birds. Walking trails are maintained between the net lanes, and most of them have been lined with woodchips and the muddy spots covered with planks.
Catching any wild creature stresses it. Keeping the stress level down for the birds and the banders is an important consideration at any banding station. Some birds are “trap-happy” and get recaptured on a regular basis. Keeping track of which band numbers are in use and therefore, being able to release recently banded individuals at the net, reduces the stress. The safe release of each and every bird is a goal of StABBS.
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