MAPS
Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship
The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program is managed by the Institute for Bird Populations in California to assess and monitor the vital rates and population dynamics of North American landbirds. Each summer dedicated volunteers operate bird-banding stations to collect data on individual "birds-in-the-hand" representing over 200 species.
The MAPS program utilizes constant-effort mist netting and banding at a continent-wide network of monitoring stations. Analyses of MAPS data provide critical information relating to the ecology, conservation, and management of North American landbird populations and the factors responsible for changes in their populations.
MAPS at RPBO
In 2003 Rocky Point Bird Observatory began operating two MAPS stations on Department of National Defense properties, one at Rocky Point in Metchosin, the other at Royal Roads University in Colwood. Royal Roads had not proven to be a terribly productive site so, in 2009, we sought an alternate location. A suitable site was found at Witty's Lagoon Regional Park in Metchosin and MAPS was conducted at this location for the first time in 2009. In 2011 access to the Rocky Point site was denied and we sought an alternate location which we found at Madrona Farms in the Blenkinsop Valley. This site was used up until the 2019 season. During the COVID pandemic we only operated a single MAPS station (Witty's Lagoon) and in 2021 the Power to Be site at Prospect Lake was added.
Our first songbird banding project of the year is MAPS, operating between May and August (MAPS periods 4 to 10). We visit each site once every 10 days for a total of 7 visits per site per year. The timing of MAPS in the late spring and early summer enables stations to monitor breeding birds and their young in each area and track their survival rate. We not only band birds, but also record all the species seen and heard, noting their breeding status using specific codes.
Read more about MAPS Program from IBP
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Photo: Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo: Mark Byrne and Jannaca Chick at Power To Be MAPS station .
RPBO & Power To Be
On June 23, 2024, our MAPS banding crew, including Jannaca Chick, Robyn Byrne, Mark Byrne and Ann Scarfe, were at the Power To Be site on Prospect Lake, Victoria. That day Altitude Sports was making a film about the amazing work done by Power To Be, a non-profit organization that creates access to nature for youth, families, and adults living with cognitive, physical, financial and social barriers. They included our MAPS banding as part of their film! Watch this video to see what Power To Be is all about, the RPBO banding crew in action, and how we include PTB groups. Watch the video.
MAPS Project Reports
Annual reports from our MAPS projects for the following years and monitoring stations are available here as PDFs:
MAPS Chat
The Institute for Bird Populations maintains an archive of the MAPS Chat newsletters they have published. In addition to many useful articles for banders the spring 2014 issue features an article on RPBO's MAPS stations.