Background

In December 2013, Woodlands Conservancy launched a bird monitoring project in partnership with Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) and the Louisiana Bird Observatory (LABO).

Woodlands Conservancy operates two field stations on a monthly basis; one at Woodlands Trail in Belle Chasse and one at Delacroix Preserve in Lower Coast Algiers.  Our research program uses banding data to compare bird usage of healthy forested wetland areas to areas that have not been restored and those that have had non-native, invasive vegetation removed.

To date, we have banded over 700 new birds and recaptured over 200 individuals representing over 55 different species. Our stations are open to the public, so come join us for one of our upcoming banding sessions!

Bird Banding

Bird Banding Schedule

Bird Banding sessions are posted on Instagram and Facebook. If you are interested in attending for the first time, please send an email to info@woodlandsconservancy.org and we will forward your note of interest and relevant experience to our station manager.

• Instagram
• Facebook

PLEASE RSVP via email if you plan to attend so we can plan accordingly. If we need to cancel due to weather, we will post the changes to our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Visit 

To volunteer or to participate in Woodlands Trail or Delacroix Preserve Bird banding field days, send an email to info@woodlandsconservancy.org or call us at (504) 433-4000. If we have your contact information, we can send you notices regarding rescheduled dates due to inclement weather, etc.

We band year round, two weekends per month at two alternating sites (Delacroix Preserve and Woodlands Trail).  We usually open 10-14 nets and stay open for 5 hours, weather dependent. All banding sessions are open to volunteers and observers.

Volunteer

We always need volunteers to help with net set up and take down, data recording and photography, and aural/visual bird surveys. Many volunteers stay at this level of involvement, and we are thrilled to have the help.

Volunteers that are also interested in training to handle birds are required to attend sessions for several months, study the station protocols, and sign a release prior to beginning to learn to handle live birds. Visitors who only wish to come to see the birds up close are more than welcome.

Please check out the LABO Volunteer Handbook to get an idea of what to expect. Woodlands is affiliated with LABO and follows the same protocol.

Woodlands Conservancy is working on compiling a complete bird checklist. The downloadable list below represents previously sighted species, but it is likely that there are others present that have not yet been reported. Please consider reporting your sightings to info@woodlandsconservancy.org or to ebird.org. Thank you and happy birding!