Hold a wild songbird in your hands as part of Intermountain Bird Observatory’s 30 anniversary

You can help catch and band songbirds with the scientists at the Intermountain Bird Observatory!(Dave Crawforth / Intermountain Bird Observatory)

Ever wanted to hold a wild songbird in your hands?

That’s something Heidi Ware Carlisle does a lot. She’s the education and outreach director with the Intermountain Bird Observatory which catches and bands songbirds along the Boise River.

“We're a research unit of Boise State and we operate like a nonprofit. So we do a lot of bird research and conservation work, mostly in Idaho, but actually around the world,” said Carlisle, who teaches ornithology in her spare time at Boise State University

They study everything from the calliope hummingbird, all the way up to golden eagles.

(Intermountain Bird Observatory / Intermountain Bird Observatory)

“And the coolest thing about what we do is we invite the public to come and watch us as we do our research,” Carlisle said.

On Saturday, June 1, they'll be catching and banding songbirds along the Boise River and giving folks a chance to become a scientist for a day.

“So you have the opportunity to visit our stations and see birds up close,” Carlisle said. “And actually, when we're done measuring them and weighing them, you can actually hold out your hand and get to hold one of these wild birds as it flies off back into the wild.”

IBO, Intermountain Bird Observatory, hummingbird banding, Idaho City, John Kelly photo.(John C. Kelly/Boise State University / Intermountain Bird Observatory)

All that research has shown shifts in migration and the number of different bird species.

“One of our goals is to really keep our finger on the pulse, especially for common species.”

The IBO is celebrating its 30th anniversary with several special events this summer. Carlisle says anyone can come watch songbird banding and even hold and release the birds as they continue their migration.

(Dale Toweill / Intermountain Bird Observatory)