Explore is a philanthropic media organization

A Blue Winged Warbler

This flashy Blue Winged Warbler shows off its primary flight feathers and coverts after being caught at the songbird mist-netting station on Stratton Island. Foraging mostly in upper half of trees and shrubs while hanging upside down, this golden bird can be found probing dead leaf clusters in winter. Photo Courtesy of Stella Walsh

Sparrow In Bander’s Grip

On Stratton Island each fall, biologists from Project Puffin’s Seabird Restoration Program run a bird banding station to track passerines and other migrants. Here, the biologist holds this sparrow in what is called the “bander’s grip.” The bird’s wings are pressed against the banders’ hand and the first two fingers hold firmly on the bird’s