By Cat Lazaroff

WASHINGTON, DC, May 10, 2002 (ENS) - Doppler radar, nets as fine as spider's webs, and experienced eyes and ears are just some of the tools that biologists and bird enthusiasts will employ this weekend in the study and celebration of migratory birds. This Saturday is International Migratory Bird Day, and both private groups and public institutions will be offering educational programs on these international ambassadors.

By promoting awareness of birds and their habitat, biologists hope to avoid future losses like the extinction of the passenger pigeon. (Photo by Luther Goldman, courtesy USFWS)

IMBD was created to bring attention to the plight of dozens of birds whose populations have declined at rates exceeding two percent per year, resulting in a net decline of 50 percent or more over the last 30 years. Problems facing migratory birds include habitat loss, pesticide use, and other factors.

IMBD is the hallmark event of Partners in Flight, an international coalition created in 1990 that includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (UFSWS), other federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups, academic institutions, corporations, and private citizens dedicated to reversing these declines in migratory bird populations.

Over the past decade, IMBD has grown to become the premier celebration of birds and their habitat in our hemisphere. IMBD is celebrated at hundreds of locations including national wildlife refuges, member facilities of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball Park at Camden Yards, national parks and forests, city and state parks, bird sanctuaries, and other nature reserves.

Not all bird extinctions happened long ago. The dusky seaside sparrow, a localized subspecies of sparrow once found along Florida's east coast, went extinct in the 1980s. (Photo by P.W. Sykes, courtesy USFWS)

"International Migratory Bird Day is the perfect time to emphasize the need to set aside places for wildlife .. and to get outside and experience these locations ourselves," said USFWS Director Steve Williams.

Migratory birds, because of their annual movements, require wintering and nesting habitats, as well as stopping points along their migratory routes. In some locations, birds may congregate in large numbers, providing curious human onlookers with breathtaking natural spectacles.

Other locations harbor rare or secretive birds, and it is the lucky observer who spots the seldom seen species.

A northern cardinal, one of the brightest of North American birds. (Photo courtesy National Audubon Society)

Using radar technology, biologists can track songbirds in the dark, and identify the areas of habitat that songbirds rely on to survive the long migration. The Nature Conservancy is working with scientists to use Doppler radar to pinpoint locations where songbirds rest and replenish along their migratory flights, enabling the group to focus conservation efforts on places with high concentrations of birds.

"By using Doppler radar to track bird migration, we are able to clearly see the key areas birds use to rest and replenish," said Steve McCormick, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. "This information helps us to identify critical habitat that needs to be protected if we are going to reverse the dramatic drops in songbird populations we've seen in the last 30 years."

Of course, not everyone has access to a radar system for tracking birds. A more common method of tracking rare species involves bird banding stations licensed by the USFWS.

Birdwatching is an activity that can be enjoyed by anyone, at any age. (Photo courtesy National Audubon Society)

The bands allow the bird to be identified the next time it is captured, helping biologists to track the migration movements of bird species, as well as their life expectancies, preferred habitats and any changes in their population numbers.

A variety of IMBD participants will be offering bird banding demonstrations on Saturday, including Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo; the John Ball Zoological Garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and several national wildlife refuges (NWRs), including Muscatatuck NWR in Indiana, Shiawassee NWR in Michigan, and Trempealeau NWR in Wisconsin.

The national wildlife refuge system provides the public with many of the best opportunities to see migrating birds, but it is not the only way to view these creatures. This year, the National Audubon Society, one of the Partners in Flight participants, is promoting Important Bird Areas (IBAs) as the focus of its IMBD celebrations.

IBAs are natural habitats that have been recognized by scientists due to their outstanding conservation value for birds. Hundreds of Audubon chapters and thousands of bird enthusiasts will be highlighting the critical role of IBAs. Children and adults will be introduced to the importance of bird habitat and learn about the nearest IBA through festivals, bird walks, education programs, and other activities across the Americas.

"Without significant migration rest stops and Important Bird Areas, traveling birds would not survive their journeys," said Jeff Wells, Audubon's director of bird conservation. "Important Bird Areas are key to the conservation of migratory birds as they flood north on the annual spring migration. From their wintering grounds in Latin America and the Caribbean, to their breeding grounds in Canada and the U.S., IBAs are the most valuable parcels of land to protect."

Important Bird Areas designate habitats required by migratory birds, like the egrets in this marsh. (Photo by Bill Gill, courtesy USFWS)

Through the BirdLife partnership the IBA program has expanded to more than 100 countries worldwide. In the U.S., inventories of IBAs are completed or near completion in 20 states with more than 1,300 IBAs already identified encompassing over 36 million acres of bird habitat.

Some of those IBAs will host the world's premiere bird watchers, or birders, next week, during the National Audubon Society's official Birdathon Week 2002 from May 11 to 18.

Birdathon, the world's largest annual competitive birdwatching event, is open to all, from fledgling birders to seasoned experts. This spring, thousands of enthusiastic volunteers will help raise more than one million dollars for Audubon's conservation efforts.

"Birdathon is about having fun! By going out and enjoying nature's wonders, we can learn about our feathered friends while helping to protect them at the same time," said Jeffrey Folmer, director of Audubon Birdathon. "Birds are truly amazing critters and can be very entertaining, if one just learns how to look. And this is something that people of all ages can do - if you can't tell a swan from a swallow, we can teach you."

Some birds are so comfortable around people that they may be persuaded to eat right out of your hand! (Photo courtesy National Audubon Society)

All of the funds raised, which are tax deductible, go to support Audubon's mission of environmental conservation, education and advocacy.

Although Birdathons can be held any time of year, the majority of them take place in the spring to coincide with the annual return of North America's migratory birds, many species of which have declined in numbers in recent years. Birdathon Week, the height of the Birdathon season, begins on International Migratory Bird Day.

For more information on Birdathon week, visit: http://www.audubon.org/bird/birdathon/

For more information on International Migratory Bird Day, and to find events in your area, visit: http://birds.fws.gov/imbd/ or: http://www.imbd.org/