Bird Banding | Boulder County Nature Association

Allegra Collister Bird Banding Project

A northern parula banded at Lykins Gulch.

Allegra Collister, a co-author of A List of Birds of Rocky Mountain National Park, began banding birds in a small gulch north of Boulder in 1950. Since then, a small group of volunteers have continued the effort; over 10,000 birds and over 180 species have been banded or sighted in this small gulch measuring a quarter-mile long and 300 yards wide. In 1992, James Guercio donated a Conservation Easement to BCNA covering the area historically used for bird banding by Allegra Collister and BCNA volunteers to BCNA. The Allegra Collister Nature Preserve came into being at this time. In 2011, the Conservation Easement was transferred to Boulder County Parks and Open Space. Bird banding is continuing each spring with Maggie Boswell, a licensed bird bander, and volunteers. This banding is under the aegis of the National Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, MD, and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

Birds of Rocky Mountain Park by Allegra Collister is available as part of The Shelf2Life Nature Studies Collection and as a Scholar’s Choice Edition. Both are available online from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

“The folks at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Bird Banding Lab (BBL) tell us that one of the many Wilson’s Warblers we caught had been banded near Sheffield, TX in May, 2008. Jo Anna Lutmerding of the BBL writes “This was definitely an interesting retrap on multiple levels for the BBL, since the bird was banded as an ASY(after second year) in 2008, at time of recapture the bird was at least 4 years and 3 months by BBL protocol (assuming a latest hatch month of June 2006). It’s not anywhere near the longevity record for the species, but still notable. It’s also one of the longer movements documented in our encounter database for the species.” She also said that they have very few recaptures of Wilson’s Warblers.”

–2010 Bird Banding Report

It is clear that the Allegra Collister Nature Preserve holds an attraction for many birds and other wildlife. Under the terms of the negotiated conservation easement, the Allegra Collister property is closed to the public. It is important that the landowner’s wishes be respected, and the intent of the agreement honored. Only people accompanied by an authorized person are permitted on the property.

During the flood of September, 2013, water flowed through the gulch washing way foot bridges used to access bird banding nets deployed throughout the gulch. Maggie Boswell was able to retrieve and reposition all but one of the bridges which will need to be replaced before banding resumes in the spring of 2014.

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