8:45 - Megan Linke: King Rail movement and habitat use among managed impoundments and tidal marshes in coastal South Carolina.
9:10 - William Oakley: Annual survival, abundance, and behavioral characteristics of wintering Ammospiza sparrow populations in a South Carolina salt marsh.
9:35 - EBBA Business Meeting (for all members!)
10:20 - Break
10:40 - Cailin O’Connor: Tracking the fall migration of rehabilitated passerines using the Motus network
11:05 - Charlie Muise: Banding and Burning: Work to Conserve and Study Birds on a Restored Piedmont Grassland
11:30 - Antonio Celis-Murillo: BBL Update
11:55 - Chris Hill: Movements dominate population dynamics in a nonmigratory population of Loggerhead Shrikes.
12:20 - Lunch
13:20 - Adam Smith: Saltmarsh Sparrow migratory movements and stopover timing inferred from Motus automated telemetry.
13:45 - Ben Nickley: Bringing Kestrels Back: a community-supported conservation project.
14:10 - Medha Pandey: Temporal Changes in the Prevalence of the Lyme Disease Spirochete in BirdBorne Blacklegged Ticks
14:35 - Garrett Rhyne: Barometric geolocators reveal unprecedented details of migration ecology in Swainson's Warblers
Saturday continued
15:20 - Michael Gamble: Exploring Variation in Molt Limits: Patterns, Processes, and Implications
15:45 - Annie Lindsay: Molt Cycles and Calendars: Exploring Ageing Terminology
16:10 - Jennifer Quintero: Neotropical migration trends in subtropica
Florida: Analyzing two decades of autumn bird banding data
16:35 - Wenyi Zhou: Bird Banding in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hot Southwestern China
17:00 Social Hour & Poster Session
18:00 - Dinner
19:00 - Speaker, Clark Rushing: Do trade-offs among energy-intensive lifehistory events constrain migratory bird resiliency to climate change
20:00 - Bucket Raffle!
Sunday, March 2nd
6:30-8:30 - Continental Breakfast at Town Hall Field Trips
7:00 - Kiawah Island Banding Station
8:00 - Bird Walk, Captain Sam’s
8:30 - Marsh Sparrow Banding
Poster Presentations
Using Automated Radio Telemetry System to Track Breeding Season Activity Patterns of Songbirds in Early Successional Habitats - Grace Muench
Field Methods to Improve Received Signal Strength (RSS) Based Localization - Michael Gamble, Ashley Long
Where do the Baltimore Oriole’s at my feeders go in the summer? A study of wintering oriole’s in South Carolina - Amy Tegeler, Jennifer Tyrrell
Banding together: Leveraging bird banding as a tool for community engagement and science communication. - Emma M. Rhodes, Kyle Shepard
Workshops
All workshops will be held on Friday at Kiawah Town Hall
14:00
- Mist Net Repair
Led by Clifford Berek and Ariane Giudicelli, this hands-on workshop will guide you through the process of identifying damage, selecting the right materials, and performing effective repairs to restore mist nets to their full working condition Participants will have the opportunity to practice repairing mist nets, gaining valuable skills that are essential for anyone involved in bird research.
14:30
- Getting To Know Motus
Discover the power of tracking bird migration and other wildlife movements. This workshop introduces participants to the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a revolutionary network of automated radio telemetry stations that help researchers study animal movement patterns across vast distances. Led by Adam Smith, Garrett Rhyne and Todd Alleger, this workshop will cover how Motus works, how it contributes to ecological research, and how you can get involved in supporting this exciting project. Participants will have the opportunity to see the different kinds of equipment involved with setting up a Motus station.
15:00
- Demystifying Lock-on Bands and Rivet Bands
Led by Dave Brinker, participants will learn how to apply and close lock-on bands and rivet bands used on larger raptors, get the opportunity to close a lock-on band or two and see how a rivet band is closed. These bands are used on raptors typically requiring size 4 or larger bands. We will have two sizes of lock-on bands available for interested participants to practice with As a bonus, a variety of trapping equipment will be available for "show and tell" for participants interested in the gear used to get a raptor in hand for banding. Come visit with "Fran"!
15:30
- Tools of the Trade
This hands-on workshop is perfect for anyone interested in learning about the equipment used to safely capture, handle, and band birds for scientific studies Led by Aaron Given and Michael Gamble, this workshop covers everything from banding pliers and calipers to bird bags, nets, and the various marking techniques used for different species
16:00
- Bird First Aid
Led by Andrea Patterson, this workshop covers the basics of bird anatomy, common injuries, and the appropriate first aid techniques needed for various situations. Participants will gain practical knowledge on how to identify signs of stress, and about the different diseases and injuries you may experience while banding birds Techniques in properly removing or adjusting a band will also be demonstrated.
Keynote Speakers - Friday & Saturday
Felicia Sanders & Fletcher Smith - Friday, 19:00, Mingo Point
The Southeast’s Critical Role in the Survival of Red Knots
The Southeast (South Carolina and Georgia) is a critical spring stopover site for the federally threatened Red Knot (listed in part due to an 85% decline in recent decades). Red Knots undertake astounding migrations every year, some flying nearly 19,000 miles from their wintering grounds, as far south as Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America, to their breeding grounds above the Arctic circle In early spring, knots rest at high tide and at low tide feed on the abundant coquina clams that live at the surf zone These locations typically show a cyclical pattern where clams are abundant in some years and nonexistent in others. In late April and early May, knots move to beaches with horseshoe crab spawning to feed on the eggs buried in the sand On Southeastern beaches they transition into breeding plumage and build muscle and fat reserves that fuel their next flight. Biologists have employed a multi-prong approach to better understand the role the region plays in the survival of Red Knots, from initial tagging of birds with leg flags and geolocators, to recent radio tagging using nanotags, and in ongoing refined mark-recapture analysis of flag resight data and coast-wide aerial surveys Advancements in satellite transmitter technology have allowed us to begin tagging these birds and tracking them in real time Between May 2023 and May 2024, biologists deployed 16 satellite transmitters on knots. These tags are glued to the bird’s back and have a solar panel energy source allowing for 6-8 months of tracking data per bird We will summarize previous research and put our findings in context comparing the Southeast conservation priorities with flyway issues
Fletcher Smith has been conducting bird research for 24 years throughout the Western Hemisphere He worked on a wide variety of regional and international projects as a Research Biologist for the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William & Mary for 16 years, and for the past 5 years as a Wildlife Biologist for Georgia Department of Natural Resources His focus recently has been on research of many species of high conservation need in the Southeast, including marsh sparrows (Saltmarsh, Nelson's, Seaside Sparrows), Red Knots, Whimbrels, and the elusive Black Rail Much of this work has been conducted within broad collaborative efforts of national and international agencies and NGOs Fletcher is currently pursuing a master’s degree through Georgia Southern University
Felicia Sanders has been working for 30 years on conservation efforts for a wide diversity of bird species. She joined South Carolina Department of Natural Resources in 2001 and leads South Carolina’s Seabird and Shorebird Projects. Her primary tasks are promoting conservation of important sites for nesting and migrating coastal birds, surveying seabirds and shorebirds, and partnering with universities to research their life histories. She is a coauthor of numerous scientific publications and has traveled to the Arctic five times to participate in shorebird research projects Felicia Sanders went to graduate school at Clemson University, majoring in biology
Clark Rushing - Saturday, 19:00, West Beach Conference Center
Do trade-offs among energy-intensive life-history events constrain migratory bird resiliency to climate change
Migratory birds must schedule annual life-history stages, including breeding, molt, and migration, to ensure that each stage is completed during brief periods when resources are abundant Because the time and energy demands associated with each of these life-history stages are high, organisms face trade-offs between the performance of one stage and the performance of future stages How individuals navigate these trade-offs is central to individual fitness, population dynamics, and natural selection. In this talk, I will discuss a research framework studying breeding, molt, and migration tradeoffs Although difficult to study, existing data from long-term banding stations provide an untapped resource for studying these questions and I will present some preliminary results based on these data I will also present current and future work on this topic using Painted Buntings as a model species and discuss how banders can contribute to this research
Dr. Clark Rushing is an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. He is a leading researcher on avian full annual cycle biology and the ecology of migratory birds He and his graduate students study a wide variety of topics using traditional ornithological field methods and emerging technological tools, including long-term research on the ecology of eastern Painted Buntings
Saturday Daytime Speakers
William Oakley - Annual survival, abundance, and behavioral characteristics of wintering Ammospiza sparrow populations in a South Carolina salt marsh
Here, we report on the analysis of long-term banding efforts and translocation experiments aimed at investigating the demographic and behavioral characteristics of wintering Ammospiza “marsh” sparrow populations in the salt marshes at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. We captured and banded Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima), Saltmarsh Sparrow (A caudacuta), and Nelson’s Sparrow (A nelsoni) at their hightide roost sites over eight consecutive winter seasons (2012/13 – 2019/20). We applied non-spatial and spatial models to our dataset to estimate annual survival rates for each species, and we used the spatial modeling approach to estimate wintering abundances for each species. Annual survival for all three species generally ranged from 0 5 to 0 8 across all years of the study, and the estimates from the spatially explicit model were mostly higher than those from the traditional model Abundance estimates indicated that as many as 1,848 marsh sparrows occupy the nearly 1,650 hectares of marsh surrounding Kiawah Island
During the winters of 2018/19 and 2019/20, we used radio surveillance methods and translocation experiments to study the functional connectivity of the landscape and homing abilities of each sparrow species The vast majority of translocated birds returned successfully to their initial capture sites (presumed winter home range area), and they generally did so within a few days, regardless of whether they were displaced across fragmented or continuous marsh landscapes We found no clear evidence that return rates differed among species or between landscape treatment (continuous marsh vs fragmented marsh) Return times did not appear to be significantly influenced by species, landscape treatment, or translocation distance The high rate and speed of returns following translocation indicates a strong fidelity in marsh sparrows to wintering home ranges and associated high-tide roost sites.
William Oakley is a native of North Carolina but has longstanding connections to Charleston and Kiawah Island, South Carolina He studied biology at the College of Charleston and later earned his MA in Biology at The Citadel while also working as bird banding assistant under the mentorship of Aaron Given on Kiawah Island, and later, as an avian field technician on projects in Peru, Delaware, and Mississippi Eventually, he made his way to Oklahoma where he earned his PhD in Biology at the University of Oklahoma, studying avian ecology and interdisciplinary research under Dr Eli Bridge William is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology at New Mexico State University His research interests span the fields of animal behavior, movement ecology, population biology, and landscape ecology The overriding goal that unites much of his research experience over the last 12 years is understanding species/habitat relationships to an extent that enables effective modeling and anticipation of the biodiversity challenges that natural communities soon will face
Chris Hill, Katie Maddox, Kyle Miles - Movements dominate population dynamics in a nonmigratory population
of Loggerhead Shrikes
Measurements of population size and its changes over time can give insights into the interplay of reproduction, movement and mortality We have used intensive color-banding and year-round resightings to monitor a nonmigratory population of Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) in an 850-ha study area in the coastal plain of South Carolina over four years We banded adult and nestling shrikes, and nearly every shrike in our study area was individually identifiable in the field. We resighted banded birds on each shrike territory twice monthly The total population of shrikes in our study area ranged between 30 and 74 individuals, and two patterns emerged: an overall linear decline of 44% (about 12 5% per year), and an annual cycle where numbers peaked early in the breeding season and declined through summer, fall and winter We can now confidently attribute most population fluctuations to immigration and emigration, and we discuss the implications of nomadism in shrikes for managing populations of this declining species.
Chris Hill is an ornithologist at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina.Originally trained as a behavioral ecologist studying bird vocalizations, he has shifted to studying questions relevant to bird conservation and population dynamics, working with his students on marsh sparrow distribution, breeding and winter site fidelity, natural history of Least Terns nesting on rooftops, and Loggerhead Shrike population dynamics.
Charlie Muise - Banding and Burning: Work to Conserve and Study Birds on a Restored Piedmont Grassland
Panola Mountain Bird Banding Station (PANO) is a year-round, volunteer-run federal and state permitted banding station. Operating about every two weeks since 2008, data collected helps the Georgia Department of Natural Resources monitor native grassland restoration efforts A number of people and organizations have been brought together by Georgia State Parks and the Georgia DNR Wildlife Conservation Section, to conduct some wonderful restoration work This includes removal of invasive species, the return of fire to the landscape, seed-sewing and out-planting of native species and other management actions The aim of our bird banding is to monitor changes in bird populations as this work progresses
Charlie Muise grew up in New England, and was fascinated by herps It wasn't until 1992 that he took a field ornithology class from Dr. Dan C. Holliman that he began to learn about birds and became hooked. That summer he very nearly walked into a mist net on an island off Maine, leading to his introduction to Sara Morris and David Holmes, the managers of the Appledore Island Banding Station. For the next 2 weeks he spent every minute he could at that station and returned the next year to take their famous “Dangle, Tangle and Drudge” class, where he learned about Sara’s mentors, Don and Doris Cohrs.Over the next 6 years Charlie sought opportunities to help with bird research everywhere he went, until he was finally asked to manage a station under Paul Super in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 2003 he initiated a station (still in operation) at Seven Islands Preserve (TN), along the French Broad River In 2006 he moved to Georgia and obtained his federal Master Permit Working with a state biologist he designed two projects to monitor bird populations at grassland restoration sites The Joe Kurz WMA station ran for 8 years The Panola Mountain State Park station is still active In addition to these stations, Charlie has banded Northern Saw-Whet Owls, Loggerhead Shrikes and Whip-Poor-Wills in central Georgia, and has been a primary assistant on several other projects, from Royal Terns to Henslow’s Sparrows and even at Jekyll Island Banding Station – where Don and Doris taught a teen aged Sara Morris years ago. Charlie is in the process of migrating – to be the Manager of the new University of Florida Bird Observatory He is happy to say that the Panola Mountain Banding Station will continue, managed by his sub-permittees.
The American Kestrel has declined nearly 70% across the Northeast in the last 50 years. This stark downward trend in Kestrel populations is concerning and perplexing Berkshire Bird Observatory launched our American Kestrel Nestbox Project in 2022 to investigate Kestrel declines, determine habitat preferences, and promote Kestrel populations locally Since starting this project we have built collaborations with numerous partners, from state government to area non-profits and private landowners-all in an effort bring Kestrels back Our Kestrel nest box trail now includes 54 boxes that we monitor for breeding activity.Our Project is gathering and sharing valuable data while giving Kestrels a place to rear their young Through banding demonstrations, we are leveraging the charisma of Kestrels to inspire conservation action on behalf of these spectacular birds
Ben Nickley is a scientist with a passion for birds and the ecosystems they are an integral part of Always fascinated by nature, he got his start in science at Ohio State University where he conducted awardwinning research Since then, Ben has traveled across North America pursuing avian field studies for nonprofits, universities, and state governments picking up his master’s in biology along the way. He is the author of several peer-reviewed articles and has presented his work at international conferences As director of Berkshire Bird Observatory, he promotes bird conservation through science, partnerships, and education Helping others connect with the natural world through birds is his forte and his mission Ben feels privileged to have landed in the Berkshires and could not think of a better place to do the work he loves
Garrett Rhyne, Philip Stouffer, Ashley Peele, Lesley Bulluck, David Buehler, Than Boves, Jennifer Tyrrell, Matthew Johnson, Dawson Rader, Raphaël Nussbaumer - Barometric geolocators reveal unprecedented details of migration ecology in Swainson's Warblers
Understanding the migration ecology, nonbreeding distribution, and migratory connectivity of threatened Neotropical migrants is crucial for implementing effective conservation strategies Recent developments in multi-sensor geolocators, including barometric units, now allow researchers to uncover migration and location details on small passerines (<25g) at higher resolutions than traditional light-level geolocators
Conservation planning for skulky, understudied migrants such as Swainson’s Warblers (Limnothlypis swainsonii) would greatly benefit from full annual cycle tracking In 2021 we captured breeding territorial male Swainson’s Warblers and deployed 86 barometric and light-level geolocators across six states. In 2022 we recovered 31 geolocators (36%) and generated wintering distribution maps from 26 birds Using the GeoPressureR package, barometric recordings (n=14) revealed novel migration data including stopover sites and migration routes, stopover duration, flight departure and arrival, flight altitude, nonbreeding site elevation, and more precise wintering location estimates.
We found high levels of migratory connectivity across longitudinal divides: Western breeders of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and Ozarks crossed the Gulf of Mexico to winter in the Yucatán Peninsula, while Eastern breeders of the Appalachian and Coastal Plains used stopover sites throughout Florida in both spring and fall to overwinter in Cuba and the central Caribbean. Results from this project contribute valuable ecological, phenological, and behavioral information for Swainson’s Warblers More broadly, multisensor geolocators show high promise for revealing new details of migration and greatly improving location data for small birds
Garrett is currently the Southeast Motus Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy, working across the region to improve the network of Motus receiver stations and supporting tagging projects. He earned his B S in Wildlife Conservation (Virginia Tech ’19) and M S in Renewable Natural Resources (Louisiana State ’23) studying migration ecology.
Medha Pandey, Nicholas P. Piedmonte, Kyle Wright, Justin R. Pool, Christine P. Zolnik, Thomas J. Daniels, Evon R. Hekkala, J. Alan Clark - Temporal Changes in the Prevalence of the Lyme Disease Spirochete in Bird-Borne Blacklegged Ticks
Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is the most common tick-borne pathogen in the United States (US) and is primarily vectored by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) The range expansion of ticks and their pathogens is dependent on the movements of vertebrate hosts, which include birds In this context, birds – with the ability to fly long distances – provide a unique opportunity for substantial tick and pathogen dispersal, thus impacting human, wildlife, and livestock risk of exposure to tick-borne diseases We examined the prevalence of B burgdorferi in bird-borne I scapularis larvae over the last decade and the relative importance of specific avian species in its maintenance in the environment. Ticks were collected from birds in 2010 and 2019, and partially to fully engorged I scapularis larvae were tested for B. burgdorferi using qPCR. Bird species significantly predicted B. burgdorferi infection, with the American robin (Turdus migratorius), Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), and house wren (Troglodytes aedon) yielding high prevalences. We observed an approximate doubling of the annual B. burgdorferi prevalence from 17 2% in 2010 to 33 8% in 2019, which is relatively high compared to prior studies of birds and small mammals in the US Birds, at least locally, may play a more important role in the enzootic maintenance and dispersal of B burgdorferi than previously thought, and the increase in B burgdorferi prevalence between 2010 and 2019 may indicate a local change in the wildlife species feeding I. scapularis and an increasing importance of birds in these pathogen-vector-host cycles.
Medha is a Ph D candidate at Fordham University in biological sciences Before Fordham, she worked at zoos and aquariums and in wildlife rehabilitation Upon working with endangered species, she became intrigued with captive breeding and reintroduction programs, wildlife management, and human-wildlife interactions She also developed an appreciation for birds and a particular interest in avian conservation At Fordham, Medha’s dissertation research focuses on the role of birds in the maintenance and dispersal of ticks and tick-borne pathogens She’s evaluating birds as possible reservoirs for three tick-borne pathogens, temporal changes in pathogen-vector interactions, changes in the occurrence of ticks on birds and the bird community, and whether birds in the U S are hosts of the newly invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).
Michael Gamble, Aaron Given - Exploring Variation in Molt Limits: Patterns, Processes, and Implications
Accurately determining age classes is important for bird banding and monitoring programs The recognition of age classes is especially valuable to investigate age-related differences such as survival, habitat use, or migratory behavior For songbirds, molt and plumage characteristics represent the predominate method to determine age class. We summarized molt data from 10 years (2015–2024) of fall migration banding data at the Kiawah Island Banding Station in Kiawah Island, SC We specifically synthesized molt limit data from 51,732 hatch-year birds of 27 species out of the 77,580 total individuals of 145 species we captured over the previous nine years We will present the variation of molt limits within and between these 27 species and provide percentages of different molt limit types per species. The patterns we identified will provide additional information for banders to utilize during field-based age determination
Michael has been a Wildlife Biologist for the Town of Kiawah Island since February 2024 He grew up in Charleston, SC and has a bachelor's degree in biology from the College of Charleston and a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Louisiana State University His graduate research investigated the movement ecology of golden-cheeked warblers in central Texas Before attending graduate school, he worked on several avian ecology projects, which included seven migration banding seasons, four of which were at the Kiawah Island Banding Station
Aaron Given - Kiawah Island Banding Station
The Kiawah Island Banding Station (KIBS) was established in 2009 with the purpose of monitoring bird species on Kiawah Island Several different long-term monitoring projects are conducted each year focusing on fall migration, wintering songbirds and marsh sparrows, Painted Buntings, and Wilson’s Plover In addition, KIBS has collaborated with the Smithsonian Institute, University of Georgia, and USFWS on several larger scale projects including migration studies on Saltmarsh Sparrows, Seaside Sparrows, and Painted Buntings, and diet study on Yellow-rumped Warblers. In the last 16 years, over 100,000 birds have been banded with an additional 28,000 recaptures
Aaron has been a Wildlife Biologist for the Town of Kiawah Island since 2008 He grew up in Oswego, IL (a far suburb of Chicago) and graduated with a B.S. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University in 2000.Aaron went on to attend Southeast Missouri State University where he received a M S in Wildlife Biology in 2005.In graduate school, he studied the wintering ecology of Yellow Rails in coastal Texas. His primary research interest is in ornithology with a special focus on avian ecology and management, passerine migration ecology, and secretive marshbird ecology. Aaron currently manages one of the largest bird banding stations in the southeast focusing on fall migration, wintering marsh sparrows, Painted Buntings, and Wilson’s Plovers Aaron is a member of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee and is also a statewide eBird reviewer but focuses on Charleston and Berkeley Counties of South Carolina Aaron is also serving as 1st Vice President of the Eastern Bird Banding Association and is currently planning to 2025 annual meeting which will be held at Kiawah Island. When not working, he enjoys birding, creating wildlife habitat in his yard, and managing a small flock of chickens in his backyard
Adam Smith - Saltmarsh Sparrow migratory movements and stopover timing inferred from Motus automated telemetry
We used automated telemetry stations to obtain previously unknown information on the migratory ecology and movements of the globally endangered Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta), a short distance migrant that relies solely on tidal marshes of the eastern USA. Saltmarsh Sparrows from different breeding and wintering latitudes generally followed similar migration routes, but their movements were often temporally segregated, particularly early in migration, due to differences in departure dates from breeding and wintering areas We detected predominantly coastal movements for migrating Saltmarsh Sparrows, but detections suggest sparrows also make inland migratory flights between coastal locations and over-ocean movements, particularly between southern New England and the mid-Atlantic
In fall, we detected multiple stopovers in coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey, and identified spring stopover sites along the Delmarva Peninsula. Most fall stopovers were short (< 2 days), and stopover length decreased throughout the migratory season Sustained migratory flights occurred only at night Although estimated flight ground speeds correlated weakly (fall) or not at all (spring) with tailwind support, more than 93% of measured migratory flights were associated with tailwinds at departure Continued work to identify connections between breeding and nonbreeding sites, as well as the locations and use of migratory stopover sites, will be key to guiding actions such as land protection, marsh restoration, and the siting of near-shore wind development
Adam Smith, U S Motus Director, works in close partnership with, as a core member of, the Motus Central Team at Birds Canada. Adam’s work focuses on implementing the Motus Strategic Plan across the U.S. and elsewhere in the hemisphere, including leveraging the strategic expansion of new Motus infrastructure and projects, helping to improve Motus data flow and user tools, and using Motus to support decision-making and on-the-ground conservation actions for migratory species He values and builds diverse partnerships with conservation and resource management agencies and organizations to support collaborative projects employing modern quantitative tools and approaches to understand the ecology and conservation of migratory animals Adam has 20+ years of field experience working with migratory birds, from small passerines to large raptors
Megan Linke - King Rail movement and habitat use among managed impoundments and tidal marshes in coastal South Carolina
Freshwater wetlands are important habitat for many avian species However, wetlands have sustained significant losses due to marsh drainage and land conversion for agriculture, silviculture, and human development This loss of habitat has led to declining populations throughout the Eastern United States for an obligate freshwater marsh specialist, the king rail (Rallus elegans). Loss of inland habitat has pushed king rail populations toward the coastal margins of their range, where they are increasingly exposed to climate change related assaults such as hurricanes and associated storm surge, tidal inundation, and saltwater intrusion To support habitat restoration and management efforts for coastal king rail populations, we are tracking individual king rail movements across a series of natural and impounded wetlands interspersed with riparian forest along a tidally influenced river in coastal South Carolina Using VHF radio-telemetry, 11 male and 2 female king rails were tracked over the course of this two year study. Home ranges were mapped and calculations accounted for a small sample size, autocorrelation, and a variable sampling regime.
Home range size for males during the breeding season was found to be negatively correlated with body weight at capture Habitat surveys during the breeding season at points of king rail locations and random locations as well as spatiotemporal variables collected during telemetry were used to investigate influences on king rail movements throughout their home ranges Net Squared Displacement (NSD) was plotted to offer insight into individual king rail movements and how these varied throughout the breeding season. Our findings will help inform future habitat management strategies to better support king rail conservation Megan graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in 2015, where she majored in Environmental Science and minored in Biology and Geology. For the next seven years, she worked across the country as a seasonal wildlife technician She gained experience working with birds, herptiles, fish, and large mammals. She also gained a large variety of wildlife monitoring skills, most of which she employs in her current research on king rail habitat use as a master’s student at East Carolina University
Annie Lindsay - Molt Cycles and Calendars: Exploring Ageing Terminology
For decades, bird banders in North America have used the calendar-year ageing system to assign age categories to the birds they catch and band. This ageing system relies on the assumption that there is a strict seasonality to birds' annual cycles, that is, breeding, molt, and migration occur at predictable and consistent periods across all species. While this assumption is true for most species that breed in temperate North America, the calendar-year ageing system is nearly impossible for assigning age codes to birds with breeding seasons that span the end of a calendar year and for those that can breed throughout the year The molt cycle ageing system was developed to create an age classification system that is globally applicable In this presentation, we will practice assigning molt cycle age codes to North American passerines together Annie Lindsay, PhD, is the Bird Banding Program Manager at Powdermill Avian Research Center in southwestern Pennsylvania She has traveled around the country and internationally to band birds and study avian ecology and behavior. She is an NABC-certified Bander and Trainer and holds leadership positions in EBBA and NABC She’s an avid birder and molt limit enthusiast, and love sharing birding, banding, and nature with her son, Tommy.
This research focuses on tracking fall migration of nine species of passerines raised or treated in wildlife rehabilitation facilities using the Motus wildlife tracking system The migratory route, timing, and success of birds experiencing traumatic brain injuries due to window strikes and juvenile birds raised in captivity were compared to the migration of normal, wild birds Window strikes kill at least one billion birds per year worldwide and are one of the biggest sources of direct avian mortality Many birds collide with buildings and survive; some of these go to rehabilitation facilities to receive supportive care However, it is unknown if these birds succumb to their injuries later Several key organizations suggest they die of their injuries and should be added to mortality estimates, though there is no compelling data to back up these claims. Interestingly, data from this study show most window-struck birds recover and migrate as expected Additionally, tens of thousands of orphaned baby birds are raised in captivity at wild bird rehabilitation facilities in the United States each year Little is known about the success of these captive-raised birds post-release. Data from this study show that these birds are mostly unsuccessful in the wild. It is hypothesized that a combination of unnatural environment and food as well as lack of important migratory cues like photoperiod and exposure to the night sky during a critical period may be responsible.
Cailin O'Connor is a lecturer of wildlife ecology at Kean University and a PhD candidate in environmental science at Montclair State University She was bander-in-charge of the defunct Raccoon Ridge Bird Observatory in New Jersey from 2007-2013 and has functioned in that position at the Meadowlands Bird Banding Station, NJ, since 2019 She runs three MAPS banding stations and has been a wild bird rehabilitator for over 20 years Cailin studies the effects on migration of passerines with traumatic brain injury from window strikes and those raised in a rehabilitation facility using the Motus wildlife tracking system
Antonio Celis-Murillo - BBL Update
The USGS Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) is an integrated scientific program established in 1920, for the collection, archiving, management, and dissemination of information from banded and marked birds in North America. Since then, we have been facilitating successful and effective bird management and conservation science This brief presentation will provide an update of BBL’s recent accomplishments and an overview of the BBL’s direction to ensure that the BBL remains the premier national resource for bird banding and marking data in North America Furthermore, I will provide a brief overview of our vision and the steps we are taking to make sure the BBL is recognized as a robust, integrated, scientific national resource that rapidly adapts to new science needs and technologies to facilitate successful and effective bird management and conservation science.
Antonio (Tony) Celis has been a Biologist at the BBL since 2017 and has been working with the BBL team to strengthen the data management system for bird banding data, support research projects that use banding data, and coordinate efforts in North America and the Western Hemisphere Currently, as Chief, he works with the BBL team and BBL partners to ensure that the lab remains the premier resource for long-term bird banding and marking data in North America Antonio’s main goal is to make sure the BBL becomes a robust, integrated scientific resource that that rapidly adapts to new science needs, study methods, and technologies to facilitate successful and effective bird management and conservation science He studied various aspects of avian ecology and behavior with the overarching goal of improving conservation efforts, including bird migration, movements, population dynamics of species of concern and bioacoustics.
Jennifer Quintero - Neotropical migration trends in subtropical Florida: Analyzing two decades of autumn bird banding data
Migratory birds serve as important indicators of environmental health, yet face numerous anthropogenic threats, including habitat loss, climate change, and phenological shifts This study uses a 20-year dataset from the Cape Florida Banding Station (CFBS) to examine trends in migratory bird abundance, biodiversity, migration timing, and body condition Results show a significant 59 6% decline in bird abundance, with species such as black-throated blue warblers and ovenbirds experiencing notable declines. Biodiversity fluctuated over time, while migration phenology remained largely unchanged Body condition analysis revealed that 61 4% of recaptured birds gained weight, though certain species, like worm-eating warblers, exhibited significant declines in pectoral muscle condition This muscle loss, despite stable or increasing fat reserves, may reflect changes in wintering behavior These findings highlight the importance of monitoring and conserving stopover habitats, especially in urbanizing areas like Southeast Florida, to support the health and survival of migratory bird populations
Poster Presentations
Jennifer Quintero is an environmental advocate and educator dedicated to fostering connections between people and the natural world. With extensive experience as a park ranger at iconic national parks like Everglades and Yosemite, she has developed and led interactive educational programs that engage diverse audiences. She believes hands-on learning is the most powerful way to inspire curiosity and a deeper appreciation for nature Recently graduated with a master’s degree in environmental science at Florida International University, Jennifer served as a research assistant studying migratory bird trends in South Florida Her focus is on addressing conservation challenges in federal lands and advocating for greater inclusion in outdoor spaces As the Everglades Fellow for NPCA, this is especially true for South Florida parks Even on her days off, she can be found exploring trails, enthusiastically sharing her knowledge of the plants and birds she encounters with anyone interested
Wenyi Zhou - Bird Banding in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot in Southwestern China
The Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot in tropical and subtropical Asia harbors rich bird diversity However, ornithological research in this region is still in its early stages, with limited baseline data Between 2021 and 2024, we conducted a bird banding project to primarily assess the impact of Alder-leaf Birch (Betula alnoides) plantation forestry on avian body condition During banding, we also collected data on molt patterns, iris color, and ectoparasite infection within this understudied bird community. Our findings suggest that Alder-leaf Birch plantations help sustain the body condition of forest birds Many species (e g , family Timaliidae) underwent a complete pre-formative molt, likely due to the lack of time and resource constraints typically seen in temperate migrants Iris color variation appears to be age-related, transitioning from gray/brown in immature birds to maroon-red in adults. This study highlights the importance of bird banding in understudied bird communities
Wenyi is a PhD student in zoology at the University of Florida working with Dr Scott Robinson He acquired bird banding skills in the Western Hemisphere (Peru, Canada, and the U.S.) and is now applying them to study the bird communities in his home country, China As an NABC-certified trainer, Wenyi is passionate about using banding as an educational tool to help others connect with birds Besides his dissertation research, Wenyi is an avid birder and enjoys traveling around the world to watch birds, observe their behavior, and record their vocalizations
Poster Presenters
Grace Muench - Using Automated Radio Telemetry System to Track Breeding Season Activity Patterns of Songbirds in Early Successional Habitats
Automated radio telemetry systems (ARTS) provide continuous, non-invasive tracking of individual birds, offering detailed insights into their movements and behavior across diverse landscapes This poster presents early findings from an ARTS study in south central Pennsylvania, focusing on the activity patterns of songbirds in early successional habitats and how these data can contribute to breeding biology studies By tracking birds over time, we can better understand how their behavior and activity is shaped by intrinsic variables like species-specific traits, and extrinsic variables like habitat structure, resource availability, and seasonal changes This research demonstrates how ARTS can enhance our knowledge of songbird ecology, providing valuable information for conservation efforts and habitat management strategies
Grace is a master’s student in the Aeroecology Lab at the University of Delaware, where her research focuses on studying breeding birds using automated telemetry systems. She is particularly interested in understanding the activity patterns of female songbirds during the breeding season In addition to her academic work, Grace is passionate about public outreach and enjoys volunteering at Powdermill Avian Research Center and Foreman's Branch Bird Observatory, where she helps with banding operations and educates the public about avian conservation. Her work aims to contribute valuable insights to both bird conservation efforts and habitat management strategies
Michael Gamble, Ashley Long - Field Methods to Improve Received Signal Strength (RSS) Based Localization
Understanding the spatiotemporal ecology of birds is essential to inform conservation and management decisions that could help maintain bird populations and reverse current population trends Advancements in automated radio telemetry systems (ARTS) may improve our ability to monitor animal movements continuously and simultaneously but require further testing and development to maximize their benefits for wildlife research We investigated the use of automated telemetry to track fine-scale songbird movements in a forested environment We placed automated receiver units (or nodes) at 100-m spacing across our study site to automatically detect very high-frequency (VHF) tags We established a Received Signal Strength (RSS)-to-distance relationship and used trilateration with data from ≥3 nodes to determine test tag locations We estimated locations with a median accuracy ranging from 31–39 m and location loss (i e , number of test tag locations that could not be estimated) ranging from 17–95%. We used the RSS-todistance relationship to estimate the locations of an endangered songbird, the golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) and present home range results for this species. RSS-based localization using automated telemetry can be a useful method for tracking fine-scale songbird movements in forests, where obstructions can reduce RSS values. However, researchers may need to raise nodes and increase power output of nodes to improve signal strength and data transfer In addition, extensive calibration tests in close proximity to each node are necessary to reduce the effect of signal attenuation, better inform the RSSrelationship, and minimize location error
Amy Tegeler, Jennifer Tyrrell - Where do the Baltimore Oriole’s at my feeders go in the summer?
A study of wintering oriole’s in South Carolina.
The Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, is a neotropical migrant that breeds in the Mississippi watershed and Northeastern and Central North America. This species has experienced 42% decline between 1990 to 2014 (Rising and Flood, 2020) and has a high vulnerability ranking because of this trend Additionally, it could lose 57% of its North American wintering range with 3 degrees Celsius of warming according to the Climate by Degrees report through the National Audubon Society Many of the members of this species migrates to Central and Northern South America to overwinter (Rising and Flood, 2020). However, a portion of the population overwinters in the southeastern United States, with a significant portion in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina (SCDNR) Historically, band recoveries of South Carolina wintering birds has been very low To better understand migratory patterns and breeding ground locations we have utilized the Motus Wildlife Tracking tower network to monitor this population Adult Baltimore Orioles, male and female, were fitted with nanotags from Lotek tracking Technologies. Birds were captured from sites where SCDNR biologists have historically banded and monitored Baltimore Orioles These sites are hosted by individual homeowners who have been feeding wintering Baltimore Orioles consistently for multiple consecutive years The nanotags used included NTQB2-3-2 and NTQB2-5-1 at 166 380 MHz and were attached with attachment tubes and stretch magic harnesses and crimp beads. Data was monitored through the Motus portal and analyzed with partners from Furman University During the winters of 2023 and 2024,180 Baltimore Oriole’s were banded and 27 nanotags were deployed. The nanotags provided tracks for 13 of the tagged birds The project will continue in 2025 The nanotags suggest that many Baltimore Oriole’s wintering in South Carolina travel into the areas around Michigan and Ontario in the summer. But there are also tracks for a few individuals that veer further east and west A prior band recovery from British Columbia indicate that some birds spend the summer further west
Amy Tegeler has been the Bird Conservation Coordinator for SCDNR since 2014 In that position she oversees the SCDNR nongame bird projects. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Ball State University with an emphasis in wildlife and ecology, and a master’s degree from Humboldt State University She spent 3 years between her degrees working with different aspects of avian ecology in various locations around the continental US, Alaska and Australia Her previous position was researching bird migration at Powdermill Avian Research Center with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Her primary interest is management and conservation of avian species and their habitats
Jennifer McCarthey Tyrrell obtained her Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Bachelors of Science in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University and her Master's in Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston Jennifer is the Community Science and Research Program Manager with Audubon South Carolina and has been a Master Bird Bander since 2012. Jen lives on James Island and currently works out of Beidler Forest Audubon Center and the state office in Charleston with conservation partners across South Carolina and the hemispheric Audubon Network.
Emma M. Rhodes, Kyle Shepard - Banding together: Leveraging bird banding as a tool for community engagement and science communication.
Community engagement and science communication is vital not only to actively recruit participants in STEM, but also to disseminate science to the public in an easy-to-understand format. I will discuss how we utilize bird banding, a capture and release method, not only to study migration but to share this scientific process to public audiences I will provide examples of how to introduce banding and banding outreach to more broader audiences outside of the birding and banding communities By keeping terminology more layman friendly, this allows the public to understand the purpose and role of banding in a more digestible format. Furthermore, I will discuss the Auburn Bird Banding training program which since beginning its operation in 2020, has had over 20 participants consisting of undergraduates, graduates, and professionals I will discuss the value of providing on-campus training and demonstration opportunities inside and outside of an academic setting
Emma is an avian biologist and master bird bander from Alabama She has a BS in Biology, from the University of South Alabama and is currently a PhD candidate at Auburn University where her thesis work is focused on studying the physiological underpinnings of bird migration Both her research and outreach has won both national and Auburn-specific grants and awards including from the National Science Foundation. Apart from her graduate work, Emma is the co-founder of Banding Coalition of the Americas (BCA), a nonprofit organization focused on better understanding migratory birds using banding and advanced tracking techniques in addition to using banding as an outreach tool BCA was featured in the New York Times in Nov 2023 in an article titled “9 Days, 527 Birds, 55 Species ”
Event Locations
Town Hall
4475 Betsy Kerrison Pkwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
Mingo Point
876 Kiawah Island Pkwy, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
West Beach Conference Center
2 Shipwatch Rd, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
Field Trip addresses and meeting locations will be shared with signed-up participants!
Thank you to our event sponsors! We couldn’t have made this meeting a success without their support, so please stop by their tables to learn more about them.
Check out EBBA’s Bonfire store and get your 102nd Annual Meeting Swag - from hats and hoodies, to mugs and water bottles! Click here to view and purchase items!.
