Banding Martin Information

[Jerry Parent]

My bird bander e-mailed me some very interesting information regarding one of my martin that was banded here at my PM colony just 9 miles south of Saskatoon, SK, Canada. An ASY Male #1222-67872 was captured actively nesting at a colony located 1 mile south of Columbia, South Dokota ( it is alive and actively nesting ). It was born around June 25, 2008 and was banded on July 9, 2008 ( that makes it just under 3 years old ). My bander informs me that is a distance of 928 km natal dispersal. This is one reasons for banding birds. My martin population is growing daily (last year I had 60 successful pairs and fledged 226 birds). Also today my first SY Male showed up at my colony and as usual is aready causing some disturbances. Jerry Parent

[DakotaLady]

Just like kids, they leave the nest and you never know where they will eventually show up.

I think the topic on banding martins is fascinating and wish I would hear more about where these birds end up and how long they live based on those that travel great distances (far norther states) versus those that just travel to the southern part of the US. Thank you for sharing the information.

[Mary Dawnsong]

I rarely see banded birds in my colony because no martin banders are active in Michigan.

Several years ago I managed to read and track a color band for an SY female who was born in a colony on an Amish farm near Nappanee, Indiana. That's about 150 miles southwest of my site.

I spoke with that landlord by phone and learned that the bird was born in a wooden house with a WDC entry. He was very surprised that she was nesting in a SuperGourd with a crescent entry near Ann Arbor, Michigan. He had tried for many years to establish a colony and didn't succeed until he switched to wooden houses/WDC.