Monomoy Bird Observatory

Monomoy Bird Observatory Monomoy Refuge Banding Station was founded in 2011 and represents the first organized migration banding on the famous refuge.

Our focus is on understanding landbird usage on the Monomoy NWR. Beautiful birds in a beautiful place. Located near the lighthouse on South Monomoy island, the banding station employs research protocols standardized at other US and International bird observatories. In addition to collecting valuable scientific data, MRBS serves as an opportunity for those interested in expanding practical skills in field ornithology.

Meet the dapper black and yellow Prairie Warbler! 🐤 Fun fact: Prairie Warblers that breed in the Florida mangroves are a...
05/05/2024

Meet the dapper black and yellow Prairie Warbler! 🐤 Fun fact: Prairie Warblers that breed in the Florida mangroves are a separate subspecies from the more widespread migratory ones.













The star of the day - American RedSTARt! The American Redstart is one of North America's most recognizable wood-warblers...
05/17/2023

The star of the day - American RedSTARt!

The American Redstart is one of North America's most recognizable wood-warblers, named for the adult male's glossy black plumage set off by vivid reddish-orange patches on its sides, wings, and tail.
The red-orange patches in their tail are employed when flycatching to startle insects.










No banding today as it is blowing a gale. So here is a photo of a unbanded Yellow-rumped Warbler (aka myrtle warbler, ak...
05/09/2022

No banding today as it is blowing a gale. So here is a photo of a unbanded Yellow-rumped Warbler (aka myrtle warbler, aka MYWA, aka myrt, aka butter-butt). This photo shows the less featured butter-pits.
















Red-crossbills may in fact be up to 10 different species, each differentiated by bill and calls. The bill evolved to op...
05/20/2020

Red-crossbills may in fact be up to 10 different species, each differentiated by bill and calls. The bill evolved to open conifer cones and eat the nutritious seeds inside. Each species bill is optimized for a specific species of cone. These cones are not evenly disturbed across the habitat and only become available in unpredictable pockets. When the do become available that specific species descends on the area and breeds, at any time of the year, then waits until the next bloom.








White-throated Ground-doves are very local island species only living on the Northern Marianas and Yip. Doves and pigeon...
05/19/2020

White-throated Ground-doves are very local island species only living on the Northern Marianas and Yip. Doves and pigeons are much more diverse in tropical environments, do you know why? The answer is all over its face, fruit. This group of birds mainly eat large fruits, the type of fruits that are only available year-round in tropical environments.













Pale-mandibled Aracaris are med-sized toucans native to Ecuador and Peru. The long bill evolved to as a long lightweight...
05/18/2020

Pale-mandibled Aracaris are med-sized toucans native to Ecuador and Peru. The long bill evolved to as a long lightweight tool for plucking fruit from the ends of long fragile branches, branches much too fragile for the heavy bird to access. This has allowed toucans to reach large sizes unseen in most arboreal frugivores. This bird was photographed in Reserva Buenaventura Ecuador in 2004.










New quarantine protocol. All birds must now watch humans at home. The world has been turned inside out.
05/17/2020

New quarantine protocol. All birds must now watch humans at home. The world has been turned inside out.










Spanish Sparrows living the kind of life I wish the House Sparrows in front of my apartment could live. Natural papyrus ...
05/16/2020

Spanish Sparrows living the kind of life I wish the House Sparrows in front of my apartment could live. Natural papyrus marsh with ample seeding plants, insects for snacks and clean water, no wonder they look so sharp. Hula Valley of Israel, 2011.












White-headed Woodpeckers are residents of the Pacific Northwest and specialize in Ponderosa Pine forests. The diversity ...
05/15/2020

White-headed Woodpeckers are residents of the Pacific Northwest and specialize in Ponderosa Pine forests. The diversity of conifer forest types and elevational variations have led to a wonderful radiation of woodpeckers in the western US. Although the overall low productivity of the region makes population densities low, so finding them all is quite the challenge. This bird was photographed in Oregon in 2010.









A Gilded Flicker looks like a mix between western Red-shafted Flickers and eastern Yellow-shafted Flickers. Like if a Ne...
05/14/2020

A Gilded Flicker looks like a mix between western Red-shafted Flickers and eastern Yellow-shafted Flickers. Like if a New Yorker married someone from Wyoming and they both moved to Sonora and opened a pottery store. That is to say they are totally awesome.









Address

291 State Highway Route 6
Wellfleet, MA
02667

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