Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
News
It’s Pollinator Week!
Pollinators in the form of bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles provide vital but often invisible services, from supporting terrestrial wildlife and plant communities, to supporting healthy watersheds.
Low Risk of Researchers Passing Coronavirus to North American Bats
The risk is low that scientists could pass coronavirus to North American bats during winter research, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Announcing the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center
The U.S. Geological Survey recently announced completion of the merger between the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) and Leetown Science Center (LSC). The combined center’s name is the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC).
A Whale by Any Other Name
A new paper from the USGS and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History documents some of the first scientific descriptions and names given to what are today known as the sperm whale and false killer whale.
Highlights from 2020: Bird Bandings and Encounters
An overview of the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory’s successes in collection and curation of bird banding data in the last year, featuring some of the remarkable bird bandings, recaptures, and encounters from 2020.
Notes From the Field: Wood Duck Recruitment
"Notes From the Field” are contributed articles that highlight current banding projects and the continued importance of bird banding 100 years after the establishment of the Bird Banding Lab. This article focuses on a collaborative project to examine how nest boxes affect population dynamics of...
Notes From the Field: Coastal Raptors
"Notes from the Field” are contributed articles that highlight current banding projects and the continued importance of bird banding 100 years after the establishment of the Bird Banding Lab. This article focuses on a long-term raptor monitoring project in Washington state.
Notes From the Field: Panola Mountain Bird Banding Station
"Notes From the Field” are contributed articles that highlight current banding projects and the continued importance of bird banding 100 years after the establishment of the Bird Banding Lab. Our second article in this new series focuses on a long-term banding station near Atlanta, Georgia.
Notes From the Field: The Rough-legged Hawk Project
"Notes From the Field” are contributed articles that highlight current banding projects and the continued importance of bird banding 100 years after the establishment of the Bird Banding Lab. Our first article in this new series focuses on a remote-tracking study that examines the movement...
Employee Spotlight: Jennifer McKay Rejoins the Bird Banding Laboratory
Biologist with avian database skills returns to the lab.
USGS Celebrates 100 Years of Bird Banding Lab
Birds bring joy merely by their presence, from their bold colors and majestic songs to their grace as they glide through the sky. Birds contribute more than beauty to the environment and society. Many plants depend on hummingbirds and other species to pollinate them. Hawks and owls prey on rodents and other pests. Fruit- and grain-eating birds help spread plants’ seeds.
