This bird makes a 25,000 mile round trip flight annually. The migration routes of this species have been determined by band recoveries. Since 1908 over 58 million birds have banded in North America and over 3 million have been recovered. Banding of birds in the United States is controlled by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and requires a federal permit. The process of banding starts by the setting up of a mist net.
Birds fly into the net and drop into a pocket of netting.
After being caught the bird is carefully removed from the net and examined. The researcher must have a solid knowledge of bird identification. The researcher will examine the feathers and skull pattern to determine the age of the bird. Measurements of the wing size will be taken. Other information about the bird such as weight, sex, molting, and trapping location are recorded at this time.