BIRD-BANDING
A JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Vol. XXVIII

July. 1957

BANDING

WITH

MIST

No. 3

NETS

By SETH H. Low

The Japanesemist net, introducedto American banders by Dr.
OliverL. Austin,Jr. in 1947, greatlyincreases
the scopeof the average
bandcr'sactivities. Beforeits introductionbanderswere limited largely
to trapping speciesthat respondreadily to bait, particularly to grain
and seed mixtures.

The mist net allows banders to handle a far wider

variety of speciesand larger numbersof individualsthan heretofore,
evencomparedto water-driptrapswhichhave beensuccessfully
usedby somestations. Highly non-selective.
the net catchesalmosteverythingthat fliesinto it. It allowsthe banderto take swallows,flycatchers,vireos, warblers,and thrushesin quantity as easily and safely as hetrapsseed-eating
fringillidsand icterids.
Whetherat home or afield, mist netsgive the banderan operating
versatility unobtainablewith traps. Nets can be shifted easily andquickly from place to placeto make the most of the opportunityof
the moment. Yesterdayal.ong the multiflora hedge for waxwings,
today next to l•he weed patch where the goldfinchesare feeding, tomorrowbetweenthe brushpilesin the orchardfor juncosand sparrows,
next week on •:hemarsh for snipe, and later on the dike betweenthe
pondsfor sandpipers;at Point Pelee,Ontarioin May or at CapeMay
Point, New Jerseyin Septemberfor migrantsgalore; amidstthe pinesin Michiganfor the rare Kirtland'sor in PokomokeSwampin Mary-land for the elusiveSwainson's
Warbler,the mistnet is equallyusefuland efficientin all.

Bandershave always obtained more realistic impressionsof thenumbersof individualsof a speciespresentor passingthro.ughan area
than have observers,and netsproducea far more accurateand reliablesamplethan do traps. They often interceptspeciesthat passthroughcompletely
undetectedby the bird-watcherandthe trappingbander. At
CapeMay Point,New Jersey,with morethan a thousand,bird-watchers
combinga relatively small area, ue have more than oncenetted species
that were otherwiseunobserved. Birders by the score .havecombed

the outerarm of CapeCod everysummerand fal'l withoutspottinga
Water-Thrush,yet the nets o•tthe Austin Station there take a dozen or

so of them regularlyevery August and September.Since using nets,
I havebeensurprisedto find my traps were takin.g only a portion of
the SongSparrowsand Juncospresent,and that a numberof my returns from prior years for these and other speciesare retaken onlyin the nets.

115

Low,Ba.din WithMistNets[Bird-Banding
July

The purposeof this paper,however,is not to extolthe potentialitiesof nettingbut, on the basisof my own personalexperience,to try toadvisepotentialand n,½wnetterson the techniquesof usingthem. I
wasfortunatelyoneof the first to receivesomeof thesenetsfrom Dr.
Austinfor trial, and I haveusedthem regularlyever sinceat my banding stationonmy farmin Maryland. At my stationnetsdonot suppl'ant
traps, but they do supplement
them and relegatethem to a secondaryrole.

My bandingoperationsare limited mostlyto weekends
and holidays,
and occasionallyto brief periodsbefore leaving for the ot:ficein themorning and after returning home in the evening.I have a few allpurposeand severalGlen•haventrip-door t Potter type) traps. These
are alwayskept baitedand are operatedfrequentlyfrom early fall tolate spring. Exceptfor sunflowerseeds,which are placedin special
dispensers,
all feed (bait) is placedwithinthe traps. Exceptwhenthe
traps are actual}yin operation,the birds can enter and leave them atwill. Netsare erectedonlywhenthe stationis operating,andare neverleft up unattended.

Theroleof netsandtheextentto whichtheymaysuccessfully
supplement or supplanttraps at a particular, permanentstation depend.on
too many factorsto permit morethan a few generalizations.Sut:ficientspace,variety of habitat,climate,exposureto and frequencyof winds,
and the prevalenceof children,dogs,cats,livestock,and predatorsare
just a few of the considerations. In the south nets may be used theyear round; in the north cold weather curtails their use d.uringthe
winter.

When decidingwhetheror not to use mist nets,suitablesites,prevalenceo.f birds, and availabletime are secondaryconsiderations.Nor
is experienceas a trapperany criterionfor judging your potentialasa netter, thougha year or two's experiencetrapping and bandingis

essential
for a full appreciationof the time involved,of the detailwith
whichrecordsmustbe ker•tand submitted,and of the accuracyrequired
in identifying, aging, and sexing the many speciesof birds handled
at a successful
banding station.
The most important factor is your own ability and adeptnessin
removingbirds from a net. Keen eyesightat closerange, a fine senseof touch,deft fin.gers,and the proper equabletemperamentare essentials. Before acquiringor trying to use a net, I stronglyadvisethe
potential netter to re.ceivefirst-handinstructionsfrom an experienced
netter,andto testhis or her own ability and adeptness
by actuallyremovinga numberof birdsfrom a net.
DESCRIPTION

Mist netsaremadein Japanof finesilkor nylonthread,dyedblack

to maketheminvisible
vchensetagainst
a darkba.ckground.
The
netting,bestdescribedas similar in texture and structureto a hairnet,
is mountedlooselyon a taut frame of strongtwine,crossedby horizontal
bracescalled"shelfstrings"of the sametwineaboutl•/Z2to 2 feet apart.

The excessnettinghangsin a 1.oose
bag or pocketbeloweachof thelower shelfstrings.A bird strikingthe net falls into t,hispocketandremainsthere quietly until removed.

Vol.
XXVIII
1957

Low,Banding
WithMistNets[ 117

Nets for uplandbirds are made in two meshsizes,a smallerone
with meshes3• incheslong (on a side), a larger one 1•(; inches.The
smaller mesh, hereinafter cal.ledthe small bird size, is the more usefulfor generalbanding. While someindividualsof the smallestspecies,
hummingbirds,wrens,creepers,and kinglets,will slip throughoccasionally, thismeshwil.1stopandholdmostbirdsup to the sizeof the Kingfisher, Flicker, and Sparrow Hawk, and sometimeseven larger .ones.
However,considerable
wear and tear of the netsmustbe expectedwith
medium-sizedbirds, and strong-leggedbirds such as grackles andjays often damagethe netting.
Nets of the larger mesh are often referred to as thrush, snipe, or
blackbird nets. Most banderswill have little if any use for nets of
the l•/•-inch mesh. The nettingis strongeranddoesnot tear asreadily
as doesthe small bird mesh, but it is harder on the birds. The threads

cut into the fleshmore easily. I am not sure whetherthis is due tothe differencein the thread, or the result of a sawingactionand leveragethe greaterspacingof the largermeshgivesthe birds.
These"thrush"nets will stop and hold spe.cies
that normallyrip
right throughkhesmallbird nets,suchas ducks,hawks,pheasants,
andlarge herons,but small songbirdswill slip through t.he larger mesh.
Thoughthis is an assetto the professionalwho wantsto band only aparticularlarger species,it is a disadvantage
to •he amateurbander.
Shorebirds,bl.ackbirds,and even larger speciesare more difficultto
removefrom thesenetsthan from t.hesmallbird nets and, despitetheirname, I considerthem definitelynot suitablefor thrushes.
Mist netsare madein standardlengthsof 10 or 12 metersI they varyfrom 30 to 38 feet, dependingon the manufacturer). Their height,
usuallyfrom 3 to 7 feet, is determinedby the number of shelves,.commonlyfrom two to five.• The ideal net for generalbandingis one offour shelves.This has five shelfstringsrunning lengthwiseof the net,
one at the top, one at the bottom,the other three spacedequidistant
betweenthem. At eachendof eachhorizontalshelfstringis a heavyloop
for attachingthe net to its supports.
The nets available from various Japanesemanufa.
cturers vary considerablyin quality. Stren.gth,smoothness,and freedomfrom knotsof theshelfstrings,
and resistanceto changein lengthwith humidityarefeaturesof the bettergradeof net. The amountof slackin the netting,both vertically and horizontal.
ly, is another important consideration,and it is seldomample in the cheapernets. T,he netting shouldbe

about10 percentlongerthan the stretchedshelfstrings;
a 30-footnet
shoul.
d have a.bout 33 feet of netting horizontally. When the lateralslackis insufficient,
it can be increasedby shorteningthe shel.fstrings,
which alsoshortens•he net. This is the only adjustmentthat can bemade in the net's structure.

•The standard lengths have been found by the Japanesethe most convenient
size to handle. Shorter or longer nets can be obtained,on special order, and they
can be madewith any numberof shelves.Japanesemarket nettcrsin the highlands sometimesuse nets of 15 to 18 shelves,from 25 to 30 feet high. These require elaboratepermanentsetswith special•aising and loweringgear, and arequite expensive.--O.L. A., Jr.

Low,Ba•ding
IT/ithMistNets

Bird-Banding
July

Verticalslackbetweenthe shelfstrings,
an equallyimportantconsideration, can be adjustedby spacingthe shelfstringsproperly whensettingthe net. The nettingshouldfall 3 to 4 inchesbeloweachshelfstring,exceptof coursethe top one. If the pocketthus formedis too
shallow,it will hold fewer birds; if it is deeperthan necessaryouer-al}heightis sacrificedneedlessly
andthe birdswill,becomemoreentangled
and be harderto remove. A four-shel,fnet of goodqualitywhenproperly setstandsabout6 feethi•h; whenstretchedverticallyto its utmost,eliminatingall verticalslack,it may stand1•/..2to 2 feet higher.
Comparedwith the cost of traps, mist nets are quite inexpensive.
The bestfour-shelf
netscostfrom$2.50to $5.00each,depending
onthe
length. Inferior netsare obtainablefor a dollaror two less,but they
are just not worth buying from any point of view. They do not wear
or last as well and, much more important,they do not take birds assafelyor as efficientlyas do thoseof the better grade (seepage 127).
While I have not usednets from every available source,I have tried
quite a numberof the differentonesthat have been brought into thiscountry. Of thesethe only onesof top quality, in my experienceand
opinion,are thoseimportedby Dr. O. L. Austin,Jr., and whichare now
bein.
g distributedexclusivelyby the Northeastern
Bird BandingAssociation.
NET

SITE

SELEC•rlON

The mist net operatesby interceptingbirdsin flight. Successdepends
on the bird's failure to seethe net in its path until it is too late for it
to stopor swerveaside. This situationis bestfulfilled by settingthe
n.etwherethe birds will hit it in full flight, and where it is as invisi•ble
as possibleat a short distance.
The invisibilityof a net, assumingit is not in motion,dependson
the backgroundbehind it. A dark and broken backgroundis muchbetterthan a light or uniform one. Woods,thickets,shrubbery,hedges,
fields,and fencerows
makefinebackgrounds;
sky,water,.snow,beaches,
and whitebuildin.gs
are poorones. Againsta goodbackgro,und,which
neednot be closeto the net, the net may be out in the open and infull sunlight. It is a simplematterto st.epback a few yardsand checkthe visibility of your net.
Nets do not work well if exposedto wind. Even a light breezewil.1
cause motion that reveals the net's presence. Also, unless directly
abeam, wind blows the horizontal slack to one end of the net and leaves

most of the netting stretchedtoo taut. Thus, exceptin calm weather,shelterfrom the wind is an importantconsiderationin site sel.ection.
Various hazardshave to be kept in mind. When invisibleto birds,
the net is equallyso to people,livestock,dogs,rabbits,deer, and otheranimals. Any of thesecrashinginto a net will tear it to pieces.Precautions must be taken to select a site with a minimumof such hazards.

Settingthe bottomstring at least12 to 18 inchesoff the groundwill let
smallanimalspassunderit, but an appreciablepercentageof the lowflying birds will do likewise.
With the background,wind, and various hazards all in mind, al.1
that remainsis to find a placewherebirds tend to fly back and forth

Vol.

XX¾III

1957

Low,Banding
WithMistNets[ 11.9fairly low. Woodlandbordersand edgesare far moreproductivethansiteswell within woodsor out in the middle of a field. Paths along

the edgesof thickets,gapsin hedges,
treelines,fencerows,
andbetween
buildingsand shrubberyare excel'lent. Sitesmay be createdby land-

scapingandplanting,and by cuttinggapsand lanesin shrfibbery.
I find a set betweena feeding area and near-•bycover usually better
than onein the midstof a feedingground?
At home banding stationsthe establishmentof permanentnetting
lanesis an excellentpractice.Whennot limitedby space,'habitat.andother considerations,it p'aysto have more permanentlanes than thenumber of nets one can normally handle. Then one has a choiceof
siteson any particular day accordingto wind direction,speciespresent,
and the locationsbeing favoredby the birds. Quick shiftscan 'bemade
in a matter of minutes as circumstances dictate.
PREPARING

THE

SITE

Whethernettingat a permanenthomestationor at casuallocations
afield where birds are tending, preparing the site properly ,before
settingthe net will prolongthe life .of your equipmen't
immeasurably.
The netting will ,catchon t,heslightestobstruction,and removingall
possiblesnags'beforehand
prevents
needlessripsandtears.
The usualprocedureis to stretchthe net betweentw,oposts,trees,orother supports,makingit fast at eachend by the loopsat the endsof
the shelfstrings.The lanewherethe net is to hang'between
its supports
mustbe straighta and clearof all vegetationat least2 feet on eachsideof the net. This not only al}owsthe operatorroomto walk on eachsideof the net, but preventsthe net snaggingon.vegetati.
on whenthe windbillows it out.

Usually the height of the bottom shelf will determinethe over-all
height of the net, but the top shelfstringmust be n,ohigher than you
can reach conveniently.To preventbirds passingunder the net. thebottomshelfstring
shouldbe within6 or 8 inchesof the gr.ound.
• Whenthis closeto the ground,the groundsurfacemustbe clear of litter andsnags. The best surface for a net 1.anefloor is bare soil, or else asmoo,thlymowed stri•pof lawn grass. If the lane does not have asuitablefloor,'thebottomstrandmustbe sethigh enoughto keepthe
nettingoff,thegroundwhen.pulleddo,wnby the weightof a bird.
When the bottom strand is set closeto the ground, two additional
considerations
mustbe kel•t in mind. A bird in the ,bottomshelf,if

able to get its feet on the ground,will springup again. This leads
to double and triple pocketing,which makes the bird much moredifficult to remove.

A bird in the bottom shelf is also much more

vulnerable
to predators
th.anonehigherup.
•I havehad considerablesuccessnetting in feeding areas. At my bandingstationin suburban West Hartford I keep my permanent net lanes lightly baited at all
times to keep birds frequenting them.--E. A. B.

•The lane can be "dog-legged"by standinga smoothpipe or pole at the angleof the lane and bending the net around it.--E. A. B.

•The Ja•paneseusuallyset their nets about2 feet off the ground. At permanent
sets they block this spacewith rice straw thatching.--O. L. A., Jr.

120]

Low,Banding
With.MistNets

Bird-Banding

For net supportsboth at permanentstationsetsand for roving use,
I havefound the 7- or 8-foot steelfencepostswit'hpunched-out
hookfasteners,either the angle or the channelty,pe,to be most suitable.
They are easilytransportedon the standardauto carrier racks,and easy

to driveintothegroundwitha pipe-type
postdriver.5'•
SETTINGTHE

NET

W'hennot in use I keep my netsfoldedin small individualclothbags. An alternativeis to roll eachnet into ,a ball, or to wind it on a
cardboardmailingtube or a .board. This takeslonger,makesthe nets
bulkier to store and carry, and involvesan additional item of equipment, the tube or board.7

To keepthe shelfstrings
taut and yet providesolne"give," I insert
a heavy elasticband (no. 84)s betweeneach shelfstringloop and thepost at each end. Thus my supportsare roughly 6 inchesfarther
apartthan the distancebetweenthe endsof the loops. The shelfstringsof top-qualitynetsstretchor shrinkvery litfie, and the rubberbands
take care of it. V•hen they c'hangetoo much, either the postsmust
be shSfted,
or .adjustment
made.by addingor subtractingbands. If sotroub].½d,
the factory stringsmay be replacedwith goodquality blacknylon fishline.

Mist netsare interchangeable
end for end and top for bottom,so it
makesno differencewhich end or side you start with in setting or
5The toying Japanesenetter goesafield with a bundle of light bamboo poles 8 to
10 feet long over 'his shoulder and his nets rolled up in a burlap sack. He sets
his t•m•- and three-shelfnets by putting the loops a,t one end over the first poleand shovingit into the ground; then he unrolls the net, puts the other loopsoverthe secondpole and pulls the shelfstringstight before sinking the secondpole
firmly to hold them so.
For beach use I have found 8- to 10-foot lengths of •(t-inch galvanized steel

pipe ideal, and have made long (and successful)sets of five nets in series between six poles. I put the poles through the loops before sinking them firmly
int• the sand. When stretched taut enough, the loops stay in place on the pipe
without braces or ties.--O. L. A., Jr.

øWhereweight and spacefor transportationare a problem,I carry 4-foot lengthsof «-inch steel .galvanizedthinwall electrical conduit. Two of these, plus astanda•'dconduit connector,make an 8-foot pole, or over 6 feet above ground.
The tt•readlessjoint is reasonablysteady,especiallyif the end poles in a line
are guyed. The polesare too thin to drive, but fit nicely into holesmadewith
a 2-foot steel pin (made by a local blacksmithfor about $1.25), pointed at one
end and drivenwith an ordinaryhammer. To hold the net loopseach8-footpole
has 5 holes drilled about 17 inches apart for 3/16-inch bobs 2 or 2•/.., inches
long, insertedso that half projectson each side. I add a 6th at the botto.m,6inchesbelow the 5th, to give someoption in the height ,of the lowest shelf dependingon the roughnessof the ground. Regular steel pipe with threadedconnectors make mu.ch more rigid supportsthan the oonduit, but weigh twice as
much. The standardsteel fence post, however,remains the best support if space
and w•e•ghtare not problems. Essentialclearing tools to carry afield are a machete cr small hatchet, a pair of hand pruners, and a small pruning saw for
disposingof fallen trees or large branches.--E. A. B.
:The smallplasticbagsnow availablefor iceboxs•orageare ideal for storingand
carrying nets.--O. L. A., Jr.
sI prefer no. 33, which is the samelength and thickness,but is only a quarteras wide: 31/2" x 1/32" x a•".--E.

A. B.

Vo,.
xxv•
1957

Low,Banding
WithMistNets[121

takingdown. I mark an outsideloop on eachend of my netswith
a smalltag, first to identifythe net with its particularpermanentsite,
secondto facilitateselectingthe top loop from amongthe five.
Removingthe net from the bag, I hangthe taggedloop on the top
hook of the first post and back off to the secondpost unrollingthe
net as I go, taking care to keepit taut enoughso it doesn'tdrag on
the groundor bill'owtoo far to the side. I place the taggedloop
on the other end on a hook at the desired'heighton the secondpost
and attachthe otherfour loopsdownthe postat the properintervals.
Returningto the first post I attachthe .remainingloops to match
thoseon the secondpost. The wholeoperationseldomtakesmore than
2 or 3 minutes.

To test whetheror not your net is set properly,w.atch it from one
end .asthe birds strike it. If they bounceoff on a quiet day, there
isn't enoughslack in the netting. Remedythe h,orizontalslack by
shorteningthe shelfstrings
as describbed
above. Insufficientverticalsla,ckcanbe remediedby movingthe shelfstrings
closertogether.Do
not expectthe netsto work well in any wind ex.ceptpossiblya lightbreezedirectly,abeam.
Whentakinga net down,first cleanall twigs,leaves,feathers'an•dinsectsout of the netting. Then place all the loopstogetheron one
hooko, post#1. Walk to post #2 and lift the 1.oops.offthe hoo.ks,
workingfrom the bottomup, and hold them in .one.hand. Now walkback to•ard post #1, folding the net back and forth betweenyour
outs.tret•hed
hands,and keepit taut so it doesnot billow to one sideor drag on the ground. End the foldingoperationso that one set ofloopsis held in each,hand. Hold onehand high .andlet go with theotherso the net hangsin foldsfr.omthe high ,hand. Now roll up thefoldednet and insertit in its bag. One set of loopswith tag will be•,olledinsidethe net, the otherexposedon top for ready identification
when resetting. The whole operation shoul.dtake even less timethan setting.
Instead of taking the net down, it may be made inoperativeby
placingall the loopstogetherat the top of eachpost. If •he net so
furled is to be left more than ,an hour or so, it is advisableto maketies aroundthe netting about a yard •apart. This preventsthe loose
net from billowingand minimizesthe chanceof a bird beingcaughtin
the furled net.
REMOVING

BIRDS

FROM

THE

NET

This is the crucialphaseof netting. It is strictly up to the bander
himself. There are no specialtools or gadgetsthat can be usedto
compensate
for one'sown lack of competence.The only mechanicalaid occasionallyneededis a pencilor somesimil,ardull-pointed
instrument. Keen eyesight,a good senseof touch, and dexterousfingers
are essential;patience,perseverance,and perceptionvaluableassets.

Removinga bird froma mistnetis normally,a•one-man
proposition.
Undermostcircumstances
onepersoncanremovea bird moreexpeditiously
andsuccessfully
thancantwopeople
tryingto worktogether.

122]

Low,Banding
WithMistNets

July
Bird-Banding

Visit,ors and otherbander.
s presentshoul.drememberthis and keep
theirhandsoffthebird andnetexceptasspecificallycalleduponby the
personremovingthe bird.
One can be neither too fast and too rough, nor too slow and too
painstaking. Both can be harmful to the bird, and its welfare is theprime consideration.Proficiency can be obtained only throughpracticeand experience.Whenproficien.t,
onewill find that he canremovebirds after dark 'by feel withouta light--but a light is mosthe}pful,so pamperyourselfand the ,bird, and make it as easy as
possible.

For whatmightbe termeda simple.andnormalcatch,the standard
procedurefor removinga bird is as follows:
1. Ascertainfrom whichsidethe bird flew into the net, and work fromthat side.

2. Find the openingof the pocket,and makesureyou havea clear
passageto the b.aseof the legsat the bird's.abdomenwith no nettingintervening.

3. Reachint.o the pocketand graspthe bird by the legscloseto the
bodybetweentwo fingersof onehand.
4. Lift the bird up by the legsand out your sideof the net as far as
the slackpermits. Hold the .bird out away from the net so that the

nettingexertsa slightstrain. This helpspeel and pull the netting
awayfrom the bird and,incidentally,
keepsthe bird from grasping
thenettingagainwithitstoes.
5. With yourfreehandpeelandpushthe nettingdownthe legsand
off overthe toes. Continueto holdthe bird by the legs,keepingthe
feettowardyouandawayfromthenet.
6. Now free the tail and work the nettingforwardup the body to
the wings.

7. Work fromthe under(inner) sideof onewingandeasethe loopsof nettingoverthe bendof the wing (thisis wherea pencilsometimes
helps). Freetheotherwingin thesamemanner.
8. Whenthe wingsare free,shiftyour graspto holdthe wingsfrom
flapping,keepingthe legssafelyin yourpalmat the sametime.
9. Free the heac•last,workinga layer,at a time from the neckover
the head.

Circumstances
dictatevariationsin the aboveprocedure.Oneof themostfrequentis to free the head after freeingone wing and before
freeingthe other. Oncein .awhile,theheadmaybe freedbeforeeither
wing. Rarely doesonefree a leg last, and suchcasesusuallyinvolvea leg with a band alreadyon it.

In casesof double-pocketing,it is oftennecessary
to start on the
oppositeside of .thenet to free the foldsencompassing
the original
pocket.Whentheoriginalpocketswings
freeof theadjacentnetting,you
hopethebird will remainquietuntilyoucangetaroundthe otherside
and reachin to graspits legs. If the bird flutters,it may complicate
mattersso you haveto start all over again. If the bird is near oneendof the net, or at the top or ,bottom,it is .bestto hold the bird in theoriginal pocketaway from the net with one hand and reach around,
over,or underandsecureits legswith theotherhand. If successful
youcanusuallypull the bird to yo.ursidefor removal.

Vol.
xxvI•
1957

Low,Banding
WithMistNets[ 123

When a bird is very badly tangledand no progressis being madein clearingit, the nettermustbe preparedmentallyand eqaippedwitha sharpknife or a smallpair of scissors
so snip enoughstrandsof the
nettingto freethe bird (be sureno piecesof meshare left on the bird).
NOTES

ON

OPERATING

WITH

NETS

When tendingsnets, the operatorsoon learns the desirabilityof
wearingclotheswith few, if any, exposedbuttons. Buttons,especiallyon cuffs, readily becomefouled in the meshes.Wrist watches,tie
clasps,zipper tabs, pens and pencilsin outsidepocket,and similar
itemswill snagand tear the nettingvery easily,and are time-consuming
nuisancesto unsnarl. The safestouter garmentfor a netterto wear isa long-sleeved,buttonless,pullover sweater.
Numberoj nets. The numberof netsa bandercan operatesafelyby
himselfdependson a numberof considerations,but primarily on thenumberof birdsto be handledand his speedin handlingthem. When
the weatheris favorableand a normal number.of 'birdsare present,
I generallyoperatefrom 6 to 10 netson my farm. W.hen I havemore
than one or two nets up I plan on .doingno,thingbut devotingmy
full time and attentionto them. Under normal conditionsany competent and experiencednetter shouldhave n•otrouble handling4 to 6
netsat his homestationif the setsare not too f.ar apart. A continuousline of netsmay be tendedmuchmore readilythan the samenumberof nets scatteredaboutin ,severalsetsfar apart.
The nettermustexercisegoodjudgmen,t,andself-restraint
to avoidsettingmore nets than he can handle properly. With traps, catching
more birds than can be handledin the time availableis no problem--one si•nplyopensthetrapsandletsthebirdsfly ,away.With netseachand everybird mustbe extractedand releasedindividually,oneby one.

Youcannotdashoffto an appointment
leavinga net•set,andunattended.
Starttakingdownthe netswellin advanceof any deadline.Duringthe
last few minutes,a net may catchmore birds than you ,canremovein
an hour. and when you are mostin a 'hurryis when you alwaysget theworst tangles to unsnarl!
If you find yourself.overexpanded
and pressedfor time, the bestprocedureis to take each net down or fur} it as soonas it is clearedof birds. If you leavenet #1 up while y,ouproceedto ,clear#2, net#1 mayfill up againin themeantime.A netwith 20 or 30 birdsin it
will take relativelyfew additionalbirds,as the weightof the birds pulls
the nettingso taut otherbirds strikingit bounceoff. Leavesucha net
until last and get the o.t-hers
downfirst.
Holding cages.When the nettingis good and you are taking birds
in quantity,,holdingcagesare a great help. Without them you haveto band and processeach bird as you removeit from the net, which

delaysyourremoving
thosestillentangled.With h,oldingcagesyoucan
clearthenetin a hurryandthenprocess
yourcatchat leisurein .orderly
fashionwhilewaitingfor the netto ,ill}.upagain. Vdhenoverexpandedor pressedfor time, ampleholding cagesare a must. Slip the birds
into the cagesas fast as you removethem from the net and postpone
the banding,andrecordinguntil later.

124]

Low,Banding
WithMistNets

Bird-Bantling

July

Birdsmay be heldsafelyfor severalhoursin a coveredcagethat isdark inside. It is well to haveenoughunitsso you can separatethosespecies
thatfightwhenconfinedwithotherbirds•grackles,
jays,chickadees,woodpeckers,
and nuthatches,for example.For this purposethe multicellholdingcagesdeveloped
by Parker Reedf.or grosbeaks
and winterfinchesare especially
useful. l,TheseandMr. Reed'sexcellenttrapsaresoldexclusively
by theMassachusetts
AudubonSociety.)
I use holdingcagesto hold until the followingmorningall birds
removedfrom a net or trap after dark, exceptnight-flyingspecies.
Also if a bird is wet, I hold it until it has dried out thoroughlybefore
releasingit.

Surveillance.Whereasa trap may be left unattended
for as muchas
3 hours,netsmustbe keptunder.closesurveillance.
Underfavorable
conditions
at a regularstation,intervalsof up to but not exceedinganhour betweenvisits to a net are reasonable. If he leavesthe nets any

longerwithoutcheckingthem or leavesthe immediatevicinity,theoperator is risking trouble.

Weatherrestrictsnettingfar more than it doestrapping. A bird
in a net will succumbmorereadilyto exposure,especiallyto cold andrain, than a bird in a trap. When a bird is held in an unnatural
positionin a net' rain quicklypenetrates
throughthe feathersto theskin. It is difficult to extract a soaked bird from a wet net without un-intentionally
pluckingit at the sametime." Thus,thenettermustavoid

lettinga st/ower
catchhimwithbirdsin the nets.

Unlesshis netsare set in well-shelteredspots,the netter must keep acloseeye on the wind. When it risesto "strong,"he must clear thenets quickly of birds, giving first .attentionto thosein the upwind
part of the net. As the wind blowsthe slackto the lee end of the net,it exertsa stranglingpressureon the neckof any bird whoseheadis
caught in the upwind portion.
In case of either

windor rain.

the bander

should concentrateonremovingall the birds beforefurling or taking down the nets. A wetor blowingnet will take few, if any, additional.birds.
Leaving netsset overnight. When birds are migratingduring ,periodsof settledweatherit is oftenadvantageous,and quite feasible.to leavenets set all night. So doing allowsthe netter to take fullest advantageof the early morningperiod whenthe birds are mostactiveand there
is likely to be the leastwind. Also dawn and duskare the mostlikely
times for catchinggoatsuckers
and small owls.
One'sfirst assunmtionwould be that. especiallyduring migration,
birdswouldfly into the net duringthe night. Suchhas not provedto
be the c.ase.At my stationoverthe pastfew yearsI havefrequently
left nets up all night at various seasons,and they have never taken
a bird betweentotal darknessand dawn? At CapeMay Point. New
Jersey,during the heightof the fall migration,we set a line of 18 nets
during the late afternoonwhenthe .areawas virtually devoidof birds.
A markedmigrationcamein during the night. The first checkof the*In handlingwet birds, either netted or trapped, I find it speedsdD'in,zand apparently makes them more comfortableto sop the moistureoff them with anabsorbent tissue such as Kleenex.--E.

A. B.

Vok
XXVIII
1957

Low,Banding
WithMistNets[]_25

netsat dawndidn't producea singlebird, but a few minutesafter sunrise we had soJne 300.

On another occasion the same area was swarm-

ing with migrants that moved on at night while the nets were set.
Again the nets contained not a single bird at dawn. Thus neither
arriving nor departingpasserinc•nigrantsseemto run afoul of nets
after

dark.

The foregoingobservations,however.apply only to dry, upland
habitats. Setsmadeon beaches,in swampsor marshes,,and.overor next
to water are extremelylikely to take birds during darknessand must

be tendedcontinuallythroughthe night.TM
Whennetsare left up overnightat an upl.
and station,they mustbe
checkedthoroughlywith a flashlightafter it is actuallydark. Somebirds, notably thrushesand White-throatedSparrows,go to roostquite late and get caughtjust at dusk. A headlamptype of flashlightis the bestfor the netter,as it leavesboth his handsfree and permits
him to directthe light whereverhe is looking.
It is not wiseto leavea net set overnightcloseto roostingcoverif
there is a possibilitythat the birds might be disturbedand flushedduringthe night. For example,turningon an outsidelightor slamminga door will oftenflushbirds from nearby shrubbery.
The presenceof deer and the prevalenceof night-flyinginsectsor
falling leavesare goodreasonsfor not leavingnetsup at night. If
large owlsare commonin the vicinity it is alsoinadvisable.The small
bird netswill take Screechand Saw-whetOwls. but will seldomstop
and hol.d Barn, Barred. or Great-Horned Owls. Also the weather ex-

pectedduringthe nightand nextmorningis an importantconsideration.
Rain, fog, and evena heavydewwill form dropletson the nettingand
make it conspicuous.
Whenleavinga net up overnight,I raisethe loweststringhighenoughto give rabbits,opossums.
cats,and other night prowlersroom to passunderthe netting. On the dawnroundI return•;hebottomstringto its
properposition,redistributethe slackin the netting,shakeout the leaves
and water droplets,and kill the flying beetleswith the bandingpliers.
I postponedissecting
and removingthe beetlesuntil both the; and thenet havehad a chanceto dry out.
The bird in the •tet. Mist netsdo not hold all specieswith equal
success,for no two speciesreact identicallywhen they hit the net andfindthemselvescaught.Mostsmallbirds.in myexperience.
tendto lie
quietly withoutstrugglingoncethey are downin the pocket--butthere
are exceptions.Warblersand vireosare amongthe easiestto take: they
1.iequietly,seldomtanglethemselves
badly, and can usuallybe removed
in a few seconds.Amongthe worstat my stationare the Chickadees,•øConfirmedby 27 years of netting, first with Italian, then with Japanesenets at
the Austin Station. We always leave the nets up o•ernight in good weather, andhave never had a casualty thereby.--O. L. A., Jr,•Night netting can be extremely productive in such habitats when the birds are
flying. The nets are so invisible in the darkness they can be set right out in the
open against sky or water backgrounds.I have caught quantities of migrating
shorebirdsin thrush nets at night on the open Cape Cod beaches. On dark,
moonlessnights the Japanesenet ducks over open marsheswith much heavier,single-shelf nets of 2•/.2-inch mesh.--O. L. A., Jr.

]26]

Low,
Banding
With
MistNets

July
Bird-Banding

Titmice, and Cardinals.
•' They flutter and fight the net continually,gatherfold after fold of nettin•gin their claws,and tangle themselves
badly. The soonersuchbirds are taken out after hitting the net, thebetter; the longerthey are left in the net, the more difficultthey are
to removewithoutinjury. Providingquantitiesof sunflowerseedat
pointsaway from t,henet reducesthe catchesof thesespecies.
In small.bird nets,someof the larger birds, particularlythe Brown

Thrasherand MourningDo.re,tend,tolie in the pocketon t•heirbacks
withoutbecomingenm,eshedand oftenflip themselves
atongthe fold of
thenettingand escapeout of the end. This difficultyis alsoexperienced
with shorebirds
and otherspecies
that do not graspthe nettingwith
their feet. Meadowlarks,
Coots,and mostRails frequentlyclamberoutof the pocketand escape.Under normal operatingconditionsthe
operatorshouldremove.thesespecies
first beforeworkingon the wellcaughtbirds.

With netsthepercentageof repeats
isfar lowerthanwithbaitedtraps.
Nets do not encouragemigrantsto stap and linger in the vicinity.
Residentbirds arounda nettingstationsoo•llearn wherethe regularnet sitesare and avoid them. ! often seemy residentCardinalsfly up
and over or around my net lanes even when the nets are not strung.
CASUALTIES

IN

NETS

VERSUSTRAPS

In evaluatingdevicesfor capturingbirdsfor banding,two considerationsare .ofutmostimportance,safetyand efficiency.The devicemust
not only take birds efficientlyin quantity and variety, it is even more
importan,tthat it allowthe banderto capture,•hold,and releasethe birds
in as good conditionas they werejust prior to capture.

I haveneverseennor heardof a trap that was 100 percentsafe or
100 percentefficient. Well constructed,individu,al-cell,
trip-door traps
are reasonablysafe, but far from efficien•t(exceptfor winter finches,suchas the EveningGrosbeak). Large traps, suchas the all-purposeand house-traptypes,are more efficientbut lesssafe. More important

thanthetypeanddesignof •hetrap arethequalityof the material.
s andthe workmanshipin its construction.Thesemay increasethe costof
trapsof identicalsizeanddesignasmuchas$20 to $50. Not all banders
can afford the quality of trap built by such a superiorcraftsmanas
Parker Reed!

Even with top-qualitytraps, someinjuries are unavoidableandoccasionalcasualtieshave to be expected. A• bird hopping into a

treadletrapmay dropthe dooron anotherbird just on the threshold.

In a cellbyitselfa birdmaybloody
itsforehealbluntits.bill,hitits

headandsuffera c.oncussion,pull off a toenail,or breakits leg. When
two birdsare confinedtoget.her,onemay injure or kill the ot•her.
In a cell by itself in a trip-doortrap, a .bird is relativelysafefrom
external,hazards,
providin,gthe trap is inaccessible
to predatorsandcannot be ,crushedor upset. However, it is impossibl'eto prevent
shrikes,small ha,wks, weasels,.chi.pmun,
ks, and other predatorsfrom
X•OnCape Cod our worst problemsare Chickadees,Brown Creepers,and R,osebreasted Grosbeaks.--O. L. A., Jr.

Vol.

XXVIII•957

Low,Banding
WithMistNets[127

enteringmaze and funnel-entrancetraps. Often they can leave again
with their victims,sometimeswithout the banderbeing aware of it.
By keepingconstantclosewatchon his trapsand removingeachbird
the •nomentit is caught,t,hebandercan reducehis casualtiesfrom areasonable1.0 percentor lessto virtually none,but his efficien,cy
willdrop 50 percentor more thereby. So s}ighta gain in safety hardlysee•nsto justify the large lossin efficiency.
With nets,as with traps,somecasualtiesare boundto occur.but thecasualtyrate in properlyoperatednetsshouldbe no higherthan withtraps. I havecaughttensof thousandsof birdswith nets,and evenmorewith traps. While I have kept no accuraterecord of casualties,[ amconfidentthat my casualtyrate for either nets or traps or both has
neverexceeded1 percentof the total take, and is normallyonly a fraction of that?

Casua}tiesand injuries are attributableeither to the equipmentor
to the operator.With traps,reasonablyoperatedundernorma[conditions,lnore casualti'es
can usuallybe attributedto the trap than to theoperator.With netsmostof ,thecasualties
are chargeable
to the operator rather than to the net itself. In my fairly extensiveexperience,abird is lesslikely to kill' or injure itselfin a net than in a trap. and mylossesto 'predatorswith nets runs considerablylower than with traps.
Net casualtiesare higher in netsof poor quality and in netspoorly
or improperlyset. With a net of goodqualitypro,perlyset, almostall
the catchesare "clean,"by whichI meanthe bird createsa full pocket
and lies in it insteadof hangingflutteringfrom the meshesby a leg, awing, or its head. A good se,tcannotbe made with a poor net, but agoodnet can be set badly. With a poor net or a badly set goodnet,
many birds bounceoff without,beingcaught.and a substantialportionof thosecaughtare not caughtcleanly.
Recentl'y
severalbantiershavepublishedcriticismsof nettingf Brewer
et al.). I doubtthat thesecriticshavehad adequateexperiencethe•nselveswith goodnets,and stronglysuspectthey were movedto complainby observing
netterswhowereinexperienced
andperhapsin somecasesthoseusingpoor nets. Suc,hcriticismsare not an indictmentof
netting,but of the individualoperatorsconcerned.
PUBLICRELATIONS

Bandingin an area accessible
to and frequentedby the public.•unlessveryclosewatchis kepton equipment,invitesinterferencewith, damage
to, and possibletheft of traps and nets. The successof an)' bandingsite is usuallyin inverseproportionto the amountof human activity
in the immediatevicinity. When not disturbed,birds in netsor traps
usually remain relatively quiet. The more they are disturbedbefore
removal,•hehardertheywill struggleto escape.
consequently
increasing
the risk of injury or exhaustion.
Goodpublic relationsfor bandingmake it inadvisableto set either•sWehavealwayskept recordsof our trappingand netting casualtiesat the Austin
Station. Our casualtiesover the years from all causes,including predation, haveaveraged0.5 percent of the total number of birds handled, and are almost equallydivided percentagewisebetweenbirds in nets and those in traps.--O. L. A., Jr.

128]

Low,
Banding
WithMistNets

July
Bird-Banding

netsor trapswherethey are likely to .beobservedby the generalpublic,
particul.
arly if the operatorhasno controlover whenand•by,whomthey
are seenand lacksthe opportunityto explainto each casualobserver
just what is goingon. Exam,pies
are setsnear and in view of people
walkin,galonga sidewal'k,drivingby on a road,or commuting
pastin a
train.

Poor judgmentin when, where, and how banding operationsare
carried on can do irreparable harm. Uninformed or misinformed
spectators
may spreadexaggerated
rumorsand makeneedlesscomplaints
to gamewardens,the police,and other authoriti,
es. Suchbad publicity
hurtsnot onl.ythe individual,bander,but the programas a whole.
The use of nets and traps, however,is no "hush-hush"operation.
Everyoperatorof a bandingstation,whetherusingnetsor traps,shouldmake a specialpoint of conta,cting
and briefinghis neighborson his
activities,and alsosu,chregularvisitorsto his premisesas the postman,deliverymen,meter reader,and garbagecollector.
Bandersshouldwelcomeindividualsand small groupsto their stationsand makethe mostof suchopportunities
to inform the visitorson
how and why we band and to enlist cooperationin reportingband
recoveries.There is no goodreasonwhy visitorsshoul.
d not be shown
birds in netsandtrapsproperlyset,operated,and tended,and alloaved
to watch a competentand experiencedbander removeand band thebirds.

Neverthelessthe operator of a banding station, particularly one
usingnets,will learn quicklyfrom experiencethat it is inadvisabletoadmit visitorsunlesshe can supervisethemclosel.
y. When large numbers of visitors are in,volved,it is 'bestto excludethem from the actual
trapping area and to bring l•he birds out in gatheringcagesto an
assemblypoint for ,t.hevisitors to see. An outstandinglysu.ccessful
exampleof how to han.dle suchrelationswith the public is the banding
station run ,by Dr. and Mrs. Paul H. Fl.uck at WashingtonCrossing
StatePark, Pennsylvania.
REFERENCES

Anon. Mist Nets Legalized in California. News /rom the Bird-Banders, 32(1):4-6, January, 1957.
AUSTIN,OLIVERL., JR. 1947. Mist Netting for Birds in Japan. Natural Resources
Section, Report No. 88, GHQ, SCAP, Tokyo, pp. 1-24.
BERGSTROM,
E. ALEXANDER.1956. The Safety of ,Birds in Nets. EBBA News,
19(6): 75-80, November-December, 1956.
BLEITZ, DON. 1957. On the Use of Mist Nets. News /rom the Bird-Banders,32(2): 22-25, April, 1957.
BaEWEa,H. W., et al. 1956. Nets More Harmful Than Beneficial. EBBA News,
19(6): 74-75, November-December, 1956.
DENSqS,JOHN V. 1956. Mist Netting. Some Notes and Observations.EBBA
News, 19(4): 53-56, July-August, 1956; 1,9(5): 60-63, September-October,
1956.

DE•WILEa, REV. GARaETTS. 1957a. To Net ,or Not to Net. EBBA News, 20(1):9-11, January-February, 1957.
•
1957b. ;BandingWith An Expert. Ibid., p. 13.
DUMO•T, MI•S. ,GusTAVE
A., .Sa., 1957. Re Mist Netting. Ibid., p. 14.
M½CLUI•E,H. ELLIOTT. 1956. :Methodsof Bird Netting in Japan Applicable to
Wildlife Management Problems. Bird-Banding, 27(2): 67-73.
Route 2, Gaithersburg,Maryland.