Page 14 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 5 - 2024

EcoPort EcoPort
Environmental Management at the Port of Baltimore
PHOTOS BY (LEFT TO RIGHT): MIKE HUDSON/
BIRDS OF URBAN BALTIMORE; TIM CARNEY / MES;
MATIAS ORREGO / MES
Island. In 2019, eaglets at Masonville
Cove were also banded.
Data collected during the banding
process, such as the species type, sex,
weight, wing length, tail length, fat level
and approximate age, is entered into a
national database.
According to Maryland Environ-
mental Service (MES) Environmental
Specialist Clara Liddell, banders exam-
ine a bird’s plumage to measure its
approximate age, noting the color, density
and quality. Fat levels can be an indication
of where the birds are in their migration
process and reproductive life stages.
Masonville Cove visitors observe a Baltimore oriole and
Barn owl during the bird banding process.
Bird Banding at MPA Sites
Helps Scientists Learn
Several Maryland Port Administration
(MPA) properties provide critical
habitat for Baltimore’s native and
migrating birds, making them the
perfect places for bird banding.
Bird banding is a process where
small, individually numbered metal or
plastic tags are attached to birds for
identification and tracking purposes.
Bird banding is conducted during
spring and fall migration at Masonville
Cove, and research scientists also
band certain species on Poplar Island,
including bald eagles.
For the second year, wildlife conser-
vationists have welcomed the public
to observe bird banding at Masonville
Cove, the nation’s first Urban Wildlife
Refuge Partnership. Among the
species banded at MPA sites in 2024
are a Baltimore oriole at Masonville
Cove and barn owl nestlings on Poplar
Visit www.masonvillecove.org/
bird-banding to track opportunities
to participate in bird banding.
For those looking to dive deeper into
birding, Liddell suggests “joining a
local bird club, getting involved with the
Maryland Ornithological Society, local
Audubon Societies, Baltimore Bird Club,
Birds of Urban Baltimore, or the Phoenix
Wildlife Center. Also, check out the
community science website eBird, and
just go out and bird watch, even if it’s in
your backyard!”
American White Pelican:
First of Its Kind at Masonville
Masonville recently welcomed an unexpected visitor: an American white pelican!
Spotted on June 10 by Maryland Environmental Service team members
Christy Morrow and Christina Hahner in the Dredged Material Containment Facility
(DMCF), this rare bird has remained at the site ever since. This marks the first
recorded sighting of an American white pelican at Masonville.
The American white pelican is a striking bird, easily recognized by its large
size, white plumage with black flight feathers, and vibrant orange bill. Known for
their graceful flight, these pelicans are either residents or migrants, with breeding
populations in Texas, Mexico, the Midwest and Canada. They typically winter
in southern California, the Gulf States, Mexico and Central America. Their diet
includes fish, crustaceans and amphibians, likely feeding on minnows, shrimp and
the 30+ fish species in Masonville’s waters.
To spot the bird, walk about a mile along o o o the Upland
To spot the bird, walk about a mile along the Upland
l d iew the DMCF from behind the fence.
Trail and view the DMCF from behind the fence.
PHOTO BY TIM CARNEY MPA / MES
[12] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 5 / 2024