As part of the its 2011 Natural History Speaker Series the Valley Nature Center in Weslaco will host a live bird banding demonstration from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 19, 2011.

The demonstration is given by Mark Conway, a Master Bird Bander from Harlingen. Bird banding is used by biologists to track a bird’s movement, migration, and life span. The bird is captured in a mist net and carefully removed. A small numbered metal band is placed around the bird’s leg. Data is then collected and recorded about the bird’s weight, measurements, sex and age. The bird is then released, unharmed, back into the wild.

Mr. Conway has banded birds for 15 years and has research stations at several locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. During the summer months Mr. Conway runs a Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) station where he monitors birds for Avian Flu.

Admission is $3.00 for adults and $1.00 for children, and always free to VNC members. For more information, please call the Valley Nature Center at (956) 969-2475.