Glimpsing the life of a songbird

Songbirds are amazing. I’ve spent a number of years getting to know the birds of the region of the U.S. where I live, and it’s something that’s given me lots of joy, as well as fresh perspectives on life and how we’re all connected. But I’ll never really manage to comprehend the life of a migratory bird (and many songbirds are migratory). Crossing mountain ranges and forests, the borders between countries, and even oceans in their amazing journeys—it’s truly something beyond words.

Bird banding is a research technique that allows us to glimpse this fascinating world of the songbirds. This story tells of a bird-banding project in Wyoming with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation (JHWF). It’s part of a much larger project called Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS), which takes place across the US and Canada. And although this story is focused on Wyoming, it’s really much broader than that—a look at the extraordinary lives of songbirds and how we can understand them.

For those of you who are near Jackson, Wyoming, you can find information about JHWF’s bird banding sites and how to visit them during the summer here: https://jhwildlife.org/monitoring-avian-productivity-and-survivorship-maps-project/. And here are links to learn more about the MAPS and MoSI bird banding projects in the Americas.

I produced this podcast using audio equipment and facilities provided by Missoula Community Access Television—many thanks to this “community media resource” for their assistance. I recorded the warbling vireo song that accompanies this episode in Montana.
As always, I depend on the support of listeners and readers like you to continue producing stories like this one. Many thanks to all of my collaborators and patrons—I couldn’t do this without you! If you would like to consider a recurring or one-time donation to support my work, find more information at https://www.patreon.com/wildwithnature.