Bird Information Research and Data (B.I.R.D.) is a year-round program for bird conservation,habitat protection and education made possible by dedicated staff, volunteers, and partners- including Metro Parks, Warner Park Nature Center, and Friends of Warner Parks.
"What does banding tell us about migration? Much of the knowledge comes in bits, eventually forming a mosaic of where birds of a given species travel. Banding proves that birds often return to precisely the same place to nest each year, and more recently it has shown that some exhibit the same fidelity to their wintering sites in the tropics."
– Scott Weidensaul, Living On The Wind
30 Years of Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (M.A.P.S.) Banding Research
On August 4, 2020, the Warner Park Nature Center Banding Station completed 30 consecutive years of Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship-- making it the oldest Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship banding station in the state of Tennessee and one of the oldest in the southeastern United States. Volunteer extraordinaire, Kathy Shaw, has worked with Sandy Bivens and our team of bird volunteers to ensure we meet the rigorous requirements of a monitoring station. A huge thank you to Kathy!
The Results of 2020 banding research study will be available soon.
Volunteer Kathy Shaw pictured with Northern Parula
Bird Information Research and Data project annual reports
Support Bird Information Research and Data (B.I.R.D.)
Did you know that the Bird Information Research and Data program and banding station is fully-funded by Friends of Warner Parks? Please consider becoming a member and making a donation to support the Park and our research!
Birds in the News
Many scientific journals are sharing information now supporting a 29% decline in bird populations in the last 50 years due to human causes. Check out these reads as well as our spot on NewsChannel 5 Nashville.
- Silent Skies
- North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds
- Tennessee Birds Part of North American Population Decline
Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area is a global effort to identify and conserve areas that are vital to birds and biodiversity and is directed by BirdLife International and coordinated in the Americas by National Audubon Society.
These areas are key sites for conservation - small enough to be conserved in the entirety and often already part of a protected- area network. In Tennessee, this program is coordinated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.