The photo below is one of the banding sites near the campus. (Susan Riddle).San Francisco State University Sierra Nevada Field Campus Bird Banding Project
For more information about the field campus please go to:
There you can find out about how to take courses at the field campus in a wide variety of subjects, including bird banding and bird identification.
Some of the birds that are banded, as part of the ongoing summer field work, are also photographed. These copyright photographs (the vast majority taken by Susan Riddle and some by Greg Clark) are intended to illustrate subtle points concerning the age, sex, molt and other interesting points of the birds. Some of these subtle points are extremely useful for other field work, however there has not been anyway to view this information. As time and space permits, the collection of photographs will be made available here, along with some explanation as to why the material is important. Jim Steele and Susan Riddle have allowed me to display these photographs for the greater good of ornithology. Display of these photos should not be construed as endorsement of bird banding, except for the most important of scientific endeavors. At a minimum, bird banding requires a permit, training, the proper equipment, experience, supervision, and A COMPELLING NEED. The work underway in the sierras meets these criteria. Nevertheless, bird banding is stressful to the birds involved. Do not attempt to catch and band birds unless you are supposed to be doing this kind of work. The photo below is one of the banding sites near the campus. (Susan Riddle).
mirror-pole updated 4/22/99
Hammond's / Gray/ Willow/ Western Wood Peewee Comparison
Song and Lincoln's Sparrow Comparisons
Hermit Warbler Primary Feather Molt
Macgillivray's Warbler and Nashville Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler Adult, Juvenile, and First Prebasic Molt Photos and Explanatory Text