Registration is now open to all!
The morning session is FULL. There are still spots in the afternoon session available!
Experience the amazing American Kestrel close up! We will visit the kestrel nest boxes that volunteers in our Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring Program steward, open them up, and place research bands on the chicks' ankles. It doesn't harm the birds, and allows scientists to study things like nesting preferences, migration, etc. Plus, it is really, really fun!
Adults are $25/person. Children must be at least 10 years old to participate, must be accompanied by an adult, and are $10/child.
The morning banding session will run from 9:30am until 12:00pm, and the afternoon session will run from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Please choose just one session. Both sessions will include a lunch provided by Marci and Jim Hess (12:00-12:30pm).
To attend, participants should be able to walk on uneven terrain, expect to walk through grasslands and ditches where ticks and other insects live, and be willing to drive or carpool 50+ miles between nest boxes.
In addition, all participants are required to review our Kestrel Banding Visitor and Photography Policy and agree to the terms in order to participate. This is to ensure the safety of the birds and participants!
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s American Kestrel banding program is part of an effort to study an important species that is declining across North America. Federally-permitted researchers safely band and recapture kestrels to study the species over time. All banding, marking, and sampling is conducted under established protocols and under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit from the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory.
Cover photo by Ruth Smith
