2023 Floodplain Breeding Bird Report

2023 Season Summary

The University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab (UMBEL) monitored breeding birds on the northern floodplain for our thirteenth consecutive year. From June through early August, we operated the banding station approximately once every ten days to collect information on songbird trends, survival, and productivity. We captured a total of 283 birds of 33 species across the season (Appendix I). On average, we caught about 42 birds per day, which is similar to previous seasons. We banded 198 new birds (~70%), recaptured 69 birds (~24%), and left 16 unbanded (~6%). The five most abundant species we captured included Gray Catbird (63), House Wren (54), Yellow Warbler (33), Cedar Waxwing (16), and American Robin (13). Some capture highlights include Northern Saw-whet Owl, Ovenbird, and Pygmy Nuthatch. While operating the banding station, we hosted a total of 74 guests who got to witness bird research up close and personal.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL PDF - UMBEL Summer songbird research note 2023.pdf