Powdermill Nature Reserve has undergone significant changes in recent years, including expanded programming and the opening of a new 2,859-square-foot research facility. But the bird banding that has been happening there for more than 60 years remains a critical part of its work. This bird-banding kit was used by the late program founder Bob Leberman, a self-taught ornithologist who retired in 2004 after 43 years as senior bird bander. Early in his career, Leberman had no physical lab, so an assistant built him this banding box as a convenient way for Leberman to carry supplies and organize the tiny metal bird bands at a stationary desk. The box contained bands of all sizes, with the most-used ones attached to screws on the outside of the box, as well as datasheets and pliers for gently closing the bands around birds’ legs.
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