AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015 • NEBRASKAland 35
way for the organization to monitor
fall migrations of species – primarily
songbirds.
"Our banding contributes to
the documentation of bird species
distribution and the occurrence of rare
or unusual species in the state," said
Nancy Gobris, biologist and banding
coordinator for the bird observatory.
The Wildcat Hills banding station
began in 2007 with Chadron State
Park's added a year later. Through
the years, a total of 6,462 birds of 91
species have been caught and banded at
the two locations.
The 4,216 birds caught at the
banding station at Wildcat Hills make
up almost two-thirds of the total.
While Chadron State Park, which
experienced a wildfire in 2012, may
not have captured the overall numbers,
its diversity slightly exceeds that of the
Wildcat Hills with 70 species compared
to 68. It has topped Wildcat Hills in
numbers and diversity the past two
years.
The first dusky flycatcher to ever
be banded in the state was caught at
Chadron State Park in 2013. Other
occasional prized catches at the stations
have been the mountain chickadee, pine
warbler, red-naped sapsucker, Steller's
jay and lesser goldfinch.
At both locations, chipping sparrows
have outnumbered other birds caught in
the nets, especially so at Wildcat Hills.
Also numbering in the hundreds are red
crossbills, black-capped chickadees,
pine siskins, spotted towhees, dark-
eyed juncos and house finches. Two
warbler species, orange-crowned and
Wilson's, are common at Chadron State
Park.
What will 2015 bring to the mist
nets? With August upon us, the banders
will soon find out. One thing's for sure,
they're certain to attract a number of
big Blue Birds – Blue Bird buses, that
is. ■
Josh Lefever, a seasonal employee for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, demonstrates the banding process to a
group of students from Gordon and Rushville under the Sawmill Shelter at Chadron State Park.
This Event's for
the Birds
T
he banding stations
are coming off a record
year for numbers of species
caught at both locations in
the Panhandle and expect to
have another solid year in
2015. Plan to get a first-hand
look at the operations.
This year's bird banding
stations of the Panhandle will
be in operation from Aug. 24
to Oct. 9.
Public banding events will
be Labor Day weekend at
Chadron State Park and Sept.
12 at the Wildcat Hills Nature
Center and State Recreation
Area, both during the
mornings.
The events are free, but
vehicles entering the park
must have a Nebraska park
entry permit.
Wildcat Hills SRA
Chadron SP
The Pine Ridge of northwestern Nebraska
and the Wildcat Hills south of Gering
provide habitats distinctive from other
regions of Nebraska.
