US and Canadian researchers are studying the ecology and behavior of the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches that make Saint Paul Island their home. They’ve also been trying to identify how many finches live on Saint Paul Island. With banded birds, and repeated observations of the same banded birds, they may eventually use some statistical methods to estimate the total population size. A big part of their study is censusing the banded birds to see where they go and how long they live. Since many finches visit town, it is easy for people to help with monitoring the birds by recording the color band combinations of any banded birds that you see. If you are interested in being part of this study, send an email at belyon@ucsc.edu and they will provide more information. For more serious helpers, they may be able to provide binoculars, which makes seeing those color band combinations a lot easier!
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