Fall 2023 was LLCC’s 22nd banding season (12th spring season) since the station’s inception (fall 2012). Below are a few of the highlights:
- We banded 1,410 birds of 77 species over 64 banding days. This translates into 22.0 birds banded per day.
- We also had 197 repeat captures (birds banded earlier during the fall 2023 season) and 29 return captures (birds banded during a previous season).
- Two of the more interesting recaptures were a Black-capped Chickadee that was originally banded in 2016 and a Northern Cardinal that was originally banded in 2017.
- Our highest one-day total for the season was 91 birds banded on Oct. 30.
- The top five species banded (by abundance) for the season were as follows — species (# banded): Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco (139), American Goldfinch (136), House Finch (122), Chipping Sparrow (95) and Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler (93).
- The cumulative total number of birds banded (over 22 seasons) at the LLCC BBS is 36,040 birds of 135 species.
- We continue to host many volunteers and guests, including a number of LLCC biology classes, UIS graduate students, and employees from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Natural History Survey.
- Our spring banding operations are scheduled to begin March 14, 2024.
If you are interested in following our daily/weekly banding activities, we have two Facebook pages you are welcome to follow: Lincoln Land Community College Bird Banding Station (daily reports/photos of our banding activities at LLCC) and Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders – LLABB (~ weekly reports/photos of banding activities at other sites throughout central Illinois).
Tony Rothering, professor of biology