Landbird Monitoring Network of the Americas (LaMNA) primary purpose was to prevent the loss of banding data that were not archived within other programs. LaMNA also supported efforts to better understand bird population dynamics at continent-wide scales though data access, visualization, and analysis.

In 2005, LaMNA began working with the Avian Knowledge Network to provide archival, curation, analysis, and access services for the bird banding community. LaMNA’s efforts resulted in a substantial data archive, but much effort is still needed to ensure vulnerable banding data are protected from loss, curated, made available, and analyzed.

The detailed data collected when banding birds are among the most vulnerable to loss, in part due to variation in specifics regarding the data, including both morphometrics and information about effort. While at-risk, these banding data have also been prioritized. They document vital information needed to inform the full life-cycle conservation of migratory birds, such as demographic information essential for understanding the causes of population change.

Basic data required by the North American Bird Banding Program (e.g., location, date, species, age, and sex) for permit compliance are well archived and made available the US Bird Banding Laboratory and the Canadian Bird Banding Office. More detailed banding data contributed to the Institute for Bird Populations’ MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) and MoSI (Monitoring Neotropical Migrants in Winter) programs are also well curated, archived, and made available. However, banding data that fall outside of these programs need better protection, care, and access. LaMNA began the process of archiving these data.

Now the Avian Knowledge Network will be working to maintain and improve upon the data archive, analysis, access, and exploration services that were developed by LaMNA. The Avian Knowledge Northwest node is now offering a limited set of these services.

Avian Knowledge Northwest is accepting new data contributions for archive on a limited basis. Many database formats are acceptable and must be accompanied by meta-data including data collection protocol, data code definitions, geo-location, and data access permission level.

 

Please contact Kimberly Hollinger; (707) 825-2972 to inquire about contributing banding data.