Songbird Banding at McAllen Nature Center

Sunday morning I went over to the McAllen Nature Center for Songbird banding. This was the first time I've seen songbirds banded and my first time at the McAllen Nature center.
The nature center has been closed for several years and has just reopened recently.
You can read the very interesting history of the Nature center here.
 The bander and volunteers catch  the birds in nets at the feeding stations and then place them in bags until they are ready to band them.

Bird banding is important because it helps keep a record of migration, behavior and life-span and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth.

The banders are very careful to not stress the birds too much and to not hurt them.