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BMDE Banding Extension

Up to this point, the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) had accepted only field observations of birds, and did not provide a schema adequate to describe the additional complexity of bird banding datasets. With the release of a banding extension to the Bird Monitoring Data Exchange (BMDE-Banding version 1.38), we now accept bird banding data as well! The extension adds some 485 fields to the BMDE (for a total of 515 fields) and allow us to describe in detail almost every measurement contained in bird banding data sets.

As with avian count data, bird banding data in the AKN is subject to the same access controls that are applicable elsewhere in the AKN (read more here ). All contributors will be acknowledged on the partners page and all datasets will be stored with their associated metadata that describe the project protocol, methodology, and contacts.

You can view the entire AKN Banding Schema here.

LaMNA and IBP—the AKN Banding Nodes

The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), Bird Studies Canada (BSC), and Landbird Monitoring Network of the Americas (LaMNA) will serve as the access nodes for bird banding data. The IBP will deal with MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival) data, BSC will be the entry point for all Canadian Banding data on behalf of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, and LaMNA will be the node for all other North American banding data. These access nodes will facilitate the process of federating the data into the lengthy Banding Schema. Furthermore, all three nodes will provide tools and visualizations for various types of banding data.

Why do we need a banding extension?

Although the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) has long provided a repository for banding data, it has not provided an archive of complete bird banding datasets. Raw data have traditionally not been stored at precise locations or exact dates, and while the BBL has done a great job tracking band recoveries, it has not tried to collect the wealth of additional data (both physiological and biometrical) that banders record or the monitoring data that can be gleaned from constant-effort mist-netting. The AKN will capture as much information as possible from each banding data set, including specific location, date, time, and effort (number and types of nets, etc.) information, as well as the myriad in-hand measurements of biometrics (e.g., wing length), fat levels, molt, soft part colors, etc. By collecting and standardizing these data, the AKN will make it more possible to conduct analyses using multiple datasets collected across the hemisphere.

In no way does the AKN wish to supplant the work that is done by the BBL. The BBL will remain the official reporting center for banded birds and band recoveries; banders and banding stations should ensure that the BBL receives all relevant data directly from them. The AKN provides an alternative data curation and sharing system, which is entirely optional, and which gives the data owners full control over the advertisement, collaboration, and sharing of their datasets.

Development of the schema

The BMDE-Banding version 1.38 schema was a cooperative effort of a number of groups and individuals. Bird Studies Canada, Point Reyes Bird Observatory, and Redwood Sciences Laboratory were especially instrumental in the development and implementation of this schema. A number of other AKN partners provided comments and amendments to the schema and we wish to thank them all for their contributions. For this schema, and BMDE version 1.38, Denis Lepage has been especially instrumental in the creation and documentation of the schema.

Goals of the AKN and Banding Data

The data management goals of the AKN are threefold: 1) to provide an archive for native, unaltered datasets; 2) to federate those datasets into a common format that can be analyzed across datasets with minimal data loss; 3) to streamline the workflow so that banding data submitted to the AKN can be easily shared with other institutions and groups. Thus, contribution of banding data to the AKN accomplishes the following goals:

  1. data are securely archived
  2. data are properly documented with metadata describing the project methodology, field definitions, ownership, and access
  3. data are stored at the appropriate access level, depending on the preferences of the provider and as defined by the metadata
  4. each record is associated with our covariates table, that assigns to every AKN point over to 2000 remotely-sampled geospatial characteristics (e.g., habitat, rainfall) relevant to bird occurrence
  5. data at certain access levels are shared with GBIF, ORNIS, and other important biodiversity initiatives
  6. observational components of the records inform the regional visualizations (e.g., maps and graphs) available through the AKN
  7. data that are not otherwise restricted are made available for certain types of analyses, both at the node level and beyond
  8. as new tools are developed to visualize and explore data, including tools specific to banding data, these will be broadly applicable to all appropriate datasets

In this way, each record of a banded bird is brought to its maximal potential by providing information on distribution, abundance, temporal patterns, phenology, biometrics, productivity, survivorship, population dynamics, and more.    

How to contribute

To contribute banding data to the AKN via LaMNA, please get in touch with Linda Long (lllong@fs.fed.us).

To contribute MAPS data to the AKN, simply send your data to IBP as you normally would. Your data will automatically be shared with the AKN.

If you would like further guidance on contributing banding or other bird survey data to the AKN, please get in touch with any of the regional coordinators:

Marshall Iliff (Eastern Region): mji26@cornell.edu
Brian Sullivan (Western Region): bls42@cornell.edu
Chris Wood (Midwest and Latin America): clw37@cornell.edu