This summer, in an urban state park on the westside of Helena, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has been conducting a very visible research project. One that includes colorful birds, excited biologists and the public is welcome to join in.

The station is part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship program, which captures birds for banding and data collection. Banding allows tracking of population trends, including survival, reproductive rates and movement patterns across the country.

This work has become important as a number of bird species are experiencing population declines, according to the Western Ecological Resource Center. The MAPS program provides crucial information to help biologists monitor and help species recover before it's too late.

There are up to 1,200 MAPS bird banding stations nationwide. The MAPS program has operated since 1989 and collected more than 2.5 million records. 

But, the banding station at Spring Meadow is unique, said Allison Begley, an avian conservation biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The program is open for the public to observe the work and then assist with the release of birds.  

This podcast  is created in partnership across five newsrooms – the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers’ websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.