Fall 2024 was LLCC’s 24th banding season (13th fall season) since the station’s inception (fall 2012). Below are a few of the highlights:

• We banded 1,199 birds of 73 species over 36 banding days. This translates into 33.3 birds banded per day.
• We also had 169 repeat captures (birds banded earlier during the fall 2024 season) and 64 return captures (birds banded during a previous season).
• Four of the more interesting recaptures were an American Goldfinch that was originally banded in fall 2017, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker and two Black-capped Chickadees that were originally banded in fall 2018.
• Our highest one-day total for the season was 89 birds banded on Oct. 9.
• The top five species banded (by abundance) for the season were as follows — species (# banded): Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler (246), Chipping Sparrow (95), American Goldfinch (91), Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco (58) and Northern Cardinal (50).
• The cumulative total number of birds banded (over 24 seasons) at the LLCC BBS is 38,126 birds of 136 species. One new species was added this fall: American Woodcock.
• 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 mid-March 2025.

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