This fall, under John Diliard's direction, volunteer licensed banders collected information on 3,800 birds of 87 species. The thirty-three year totals equal almost 239,000 birds of 187 species. These cumulative data provide an interesting perspective on 1995 results. There were high counts this year for two sparrow species. 194 Savannah sparrows were banded compared with a previous high of 38! Twelve Grasshopper sparrows were banded compared with the previous high of only two.
Several species were considerably more common this year than in recent years:
282 Black-throated blue warblers were banded, more than any other species except Yellow-rumped warblers; Yellow-rumps, with their large October flight, are always the most common species.
Palm warblers were also more numerous than in recent years: the 202 Western palms was the highest total since 1972; the 110 Yellow palms was the highest number since 1969.
Six Black-billed cuckoos were banded this year. None had been banded since 1991.
As with all banding information, the data collected last fall was furnished to the Department of Interior's National Biological Survey. It is available nationwide to researchers interested in migration patterns as well as for other avian research issues.
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Summer 96 Newsletter