Walter Sakai is a Master Bird Bander who has been banding birds in Zuma Canyon since 1995. Bird banding allows us to learn about migration patterns, population changes, mortality, longevity, feeding behaviors and territoriality of birds. Walt’s emphasis is on teaching students how to band birds. Thus, most of his help comes from Santa Monica College where he teaches biology, but he has other volunteers as well.
Because Walt’s emphasis is on teaching, his banding covers a wide variety of habitats. Walt and his students generally band 60-80 species each year, including 1000-1500 individual birds. You can find some very interesting information on his homepage.
Walt was recently awarded $1000 from Los Angeles Audubon Society and $500 from Santa Monica Bay Audubon to start and operate a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival) bird banding station in Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Come to the monthly membership meeting on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 7:00 PM. Click here for details.