Adult Common Tern Trapping and Pairing on Great Gull Island

Nesting terns are captured for what is referred to as "pairing,"learning who the parents are at each nest. Adults captured are then processed (bill length measured, weight taken, nest recorded, band number recorded). Birds who are "naked,"or without a band, are banded in addition to regular processing.
While one bird is being processed, the trap, after capture was reset. 15 minutes must pass before releasing your initial bird (because you could potentially re-trap it), and going to see if you caught the mate.
The traps are strategically placed over a nest with young chicks. The parents once captured don't freak out, as video shows, but sit atop their chicks or feed them. They only realize they are trapped when we come to retrieve them.
Bird are bagged and handled with care to reduce possibility of injury and prevent more stress than necessary for this short, procedure that helps to monitor the bird of the GGI colony.