The harness is designed to degrade after 1.5 years, the approximate life of the transmitter's battery. Please note that understanding the processes causing bird communities to change with urbanization necessitates the capture and marking of individual birds. These activities demands a great deal of training and are heavily regulated. For more information on these activities see the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the USGS Bird Banding Lab's homepage. Undergraduate students help us collect data in the field.
Private landowners provide access to their land.
Managers at a variety of public agencies provide logistic support for locating and working at field sites. Each year, a few undergraduates from the University of Washington participate in this research project by completing an independent study. These studies often fulfil academic requirements and include a stipend while field work is conducted. For more information, contact us . The replacement of native vegetation with non-native plants is one of the primary causes of decline in animal populations.