Bird Banding Efforts of Prof. Andy Zuwerink Draw Newspaper's Attention

September 29, 2008

September 29, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. - "It was a bright, sunny morning on Saturday, and Andy Zuwerink, assistant professor of biology at DePauw University, was busy banding birds at the University's Nature Park," begins a story published in today's edition of Greencastle's Banner-Graphic. "Bird banding is a system used by researchers all over the world to help them identify individuals of a species," writes Jamie Barrand.

"You can use banding for a number of things," Dr. Zuwerink tells the newspaper. "It can be used to determine populations or track migratory patterns."

The article notes, "The bands are small, lightweight pieces of aluminum that are closed like a bracelet around one leg of the bird. They don't hurt the birds or affect how they fly, and most birds don't even notice that they are there. Each band is etched with an individual number to identify the bird as an individual (no other bird in the world has that number)."

Barrand describes the process by which the birds are captured, observed and released. "Zuwerink said a large majority of the birds he bands at the nature park are goldfinches. He also sees a lot of sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches and titmice." She adds, "Zuwerink said several of his students are interested in helping him with bird banding. The public is welcome to come see Zuwerink in action. He will be banding birds every Saturday through mid-November at the Nature Park's amphitheater from 7 to 11 a.m."

Read the complete story at the Banner-Graphic's Web site.

The DePauw Nature Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset and is accessible to all with no admission charge. Learn more by clicking here.

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