Bird Banding in Wyoming

To conserve migratory birds, we need to understand the health of both populations and individual birds. Bird banding—the act of safely catching, measuring, and marking birds with a light leg band—provides crucial information on productivity, survival, and population sizes for conserving North American birds. Audubon Rockies operates three banding stations that operate under cooperation with the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program. MAPS is a continent-wide bird population monitoring program that provides critical demographic information on terrestrial birds. The MAPS program is endorsed by both the Monitoring Working Group of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Program and the Biological Resources Division as an important tool for monitoring birds.

Each year, we band, determine age and gender, and assess the health of birds at three locations in Wyoming. We have one station in northeast Wyoming within Keyhole State Park and two stations near Casper, including Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park. Banding starts the last week of May and ends in early August. In spring and fall, we often hold training sessions near Casper, Wyoming, during passerine migration.

Volunteers play a critical role in making our banding stations possible. Regardless of your experience, we have roles for everyone, including measuring birds, extracting them from mist nets, checking the nets, recording data, monitoring the birds around our nets, educating public visitors, and supporting logistics. This is an excellent opportunity for aspiring wildlife professionals to gain hands-on field experience, and for all bird-lovers to make friends and see birds like never before. 

Sign Up to Band Birds

If you'd like to be notified about opportunities to volunteer at our bird banding stations, please submit the forms below where you're interested in volunteering.

• Casper Mountain and Edness Kimball State Park
• Keyhole State Park