How BYU students are tracking birds and protecting habitats at the Provo River Delta

Tracking Birds, Protecting Habitats: BYU Students at the Provo River Delta. Produced by BYU Video.

NOTE: All birds were captured and handled by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources with appropriate permits.

When people hear about bird strikes, they usually think of airplane emergencies and grounded flights. While the danger that birds pose to planes and passengers is real, the sheer volume of these collisions goes largely unnoticed and drives a hidden toll on bird populations.

With bird strikes killing thousands of birds each year, BYU students are monitoring the bird populations in and around the Provo River Delta and Provo airport to understand how management of habitat can help reduce collision risk.

BYU students help Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials gather birds captured in “mist nets” — harmless netted fences invisible to birds in flight — to band, count and track the health of the various populations.

Since 2017, students have been traveling to the river mouth where it flows into Utah Lake three times a week to survey the populations. Trained in their ornithology class on campus, these excursions give students a chance to gain real-world experience analyzing and caring for the wildlife in their community.

“Coming to the delta to enjoy the sights and sounds and enjoy God’s creation helps you have a deeper gratitude for it, and helps you want to protect it,” said wildlife conservation student Julyn Robinson, who just graduated earlier this year.

Recently, the team has been seeing an increase in both the number of birds and the diversity of the species using the Provo River Delta, but not near the Provo Airport — which is good news for birds and people. These surveys provide helpful guidance for the ongoing project to restore the Provo River Delta and protect both the birds and the airport.

Bird Banding