Environment

Mid-Michigan bird banders track fall migration

WKAR Public Media | By Kevin Lavery

Published October 2, 2015 at 12:39 PM EDT

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MSU researchers at the Burke Lake Banding Station document the size of an adult female rusty blackbird, whose numbers have plummeted over the last 40 years.

Kevin Lavery / WKAR

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Bird bander Zak Pohlen (left) and volunteer Richard Yarsevich document birds caught in a net earlier in the day.

Kevin Lavery / WKAR

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Zak Pohlen records specific data for each bird, including its wing length and its fat to muscle ratio.

Kevin Lavery / WKAR

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Weighing about eight grams, this winter wren is one of the smallest banded birds tracked this season at Burke Lake.

Kevin Lavery / WKAR

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Site coordinator Callie Gesmundo and Zak Pohlen enjoy a moment with a rarely seen rusty blackbird.

Kevin Lavery / WKAR

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Experts say the rusty blackbird has seen a more than 90 percent population decline since the 1970's. There's a coordinated campaign across North America to track the species' movements.

Kevin Lavery / WKAR

Current State's Kevin Lavery meets up with staff members banding birds at the Burke Lake Banding Station this week.

How many times have you planned a little winter getaway vacation, and when it was over you came back home having gained a few pounds? Now that it’s getting colder, we all know birds like to take winter trips, but they bulk up a bit before they travel. Birds need to build up their fat reserves to have the energy for that incredibly long migration south.

Most birds in Michigan fly to the tropics. The Kirtland’s Warbler, for example, has standing reservations in the Bahamas.

Current State’s Kevin Lavery took a little trip to the woods this week to learn more.