Dear bird club presidents, and friends of the HRBT seabird colony,
During the 2018 and 2019 nesting seasons, DGIF and Virginia Tech banded over 5000 of the nesting birds on the South Island of the HRBT in order to evaluate dispersion of these populations of seabirds in years subsequent to the colony’s displacement from the HRBT South Island.
VSO has committed to assisting re-sighting efforts for the banded species: Royal Terns, Gull-Billed Terns, Common Terns, Laughing Gulls, Sandwich Terns, and Black Skimmers. We are asking birders to be on the look out for banded birds, and, if seen, we are asking that the information on the attached excel spread sheet be recorded. As you will see on the spreadsheet, information needed includes:
- location (coordinates)
- date / time of sighting
- species of banded bird and species in flock
- capture code (i.e. as seen through binoculars / scope vs. bird found dead etc.)
- band type and letter combinations
- observer name
- comments
The bands can have any number 0-9 and any of the following letters: A C E H J K L M N P T U V X Y. Also, it’s sometimes easier to read the code if a picture is taken.
PLEASE HAVE ALL BIRDERS RETURN THEIR SPREADSHEETS TO: [email protected]
Thank you,
Terri Cuthriell
