BIRD BANDING SCHEDULE

Tom and Paula Bartlett conduct bird banding throughout northwest Ohio and the Lake Erie islands.

Banding dates are weather dependent and may change or be canceled. The safety of the birds always comes first. Please check this page before traveling.

Click on the area below for dates.

  • Fall 2026 Banding Dates

    August
    Aug. 15
    Aug. 22
    Aug. 30

    September
    Sept. 5
    Sept. 12
    Sept. 19
    Sept. 26

    October
    Oct. 3
    Oct. 4
    Oct. 10
    Oct. 11

    November
    Nov. 28

    Banding Hours
    Banding begins approximately ½ hour before sunrise and usually ends at noon.

    Additional dates may be added during the season. All banding is weather dependent.

  • Kelleys Island
    Sept. 13–18
    Banding generally runs from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., with banding ending at noon on Sept. 18.

    South Bass Island
    Sept. 20–24
    Banding generally runs from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., with banding ending at noon on Sept. 24.

    Middle Bass Island
    Sept. 27–Oct. 2
    Banding generally runs from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., with banding ending at noon on Oct. 2.

    Kelleys Island, Jones Preserve
    Oct. 15–Nov. 15
    Songbird banding, 6 a.m.–2 p.m.

    Kelleys Island, Scheele Preserve
    Oct. 15–Nov. 24
    Owl banding begins around sunset.

    Dec. 20
    Lake Erie Islands Christmas Bird Count

    Dec. 21
    2026 Lake Erie Islands bird banding season ends.

  • 14th Annual Owl Fest
    Kelleys Island
    November 6-8, 2026

    Song bird banding in the morning.
    Saw Whet Owl banding in the evening.

Support Tom and Paula's Work

More Than 100,000 Birds

Tom began banding birds in Ohio in 1971. In 2021, he reached a remarkable milestone when he banded his 100,000th bird, a Northern Saw-whet Owl. The milestone was celebrated as a team achievement, with Paula and the banding crew working alongside him.

The number is impressive, but Tom’s work has never been about chasing a number. Each bird contributes information that may help researchers better understand a species, a migration corridor or the importance of a particular habitat.

Care Comes First

Bird banding is conducted under federal permits and follows established scientific and ethical standards designed to protect the birds being studied. Birds are handled carefully, measured and documented, fitted with the appropriate band and released as quickly and safely as possible.

Tom is a Master Bird Bander for the U.S. Geological Survey and has been certified by the North American Banding Council as a bird bander and trainer. That means his work is not only about collecting data. It also includes teaching others how to do the work responsibly and well.

The Moment of Release

There is a practical reason for every measurement and every number recorded at a banding station. But there is also a moment that never becomes ordinary: opening your hand and watching a bird return to the sky.

Science may begin the encounter. Wonder is usually still there at the end.