WHAT LUCK! My spring break coincided with the dates for one of the most well known banding stations for Neo-tropical migrants. Each spring and fall the Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc. operates a banding station at the Fort Morgan State Historical Park just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama. This location is the first landfall and the last departure point for thousands of migrating birds. For 2 weeks in April, a dedicated group of volunteers captures, bands, weighs, measures, photographs and releases hummingbirds and other Neo-tropical migrants.
The banding station serves two purposes. First, bird banding data are useful to learn about bird dispersal, migration, behavior and social structure, life-span and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth. Learning about these birds and their habits will help us to preserve avian populations for future generations. The second purpose has to do with these future generations. The long-term survival of birds and their habitat is dependent upon the attitudes of the young people of today. The Fort Morgan Banding Station is an educational experience. Volunteers take time to teach visitors about the identification, behavior and habitat needs of each migratory species.
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| A YOUNG BIRDER CAPTURES THE RELEASE OF A SWAINSON' | S WARBLER |
When a visitor, especially a young person, has the chance to see up close and possibly hold and release one of these beautiful birds – they are forever changed. You can see it in their faces. The Fort Morgan station is one of the most amazing educational operations I have ever witnessed. Each year over 6000 guests arrive – not knowing what to expect. They leave knowing that birds are our partners on this planet and deserving of our protection. Preserving the birds and their habitat is the mission of the Hummer/Bird Study Group. Each spring they do an amazing job of spreading that mission around.
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