The barn owl is one of the most beloved farmland raptors worldwide, but in Maryland, it’s in deep trouble. By attaching tiny transmitters to barn owls captured on their breeding grounds, MBCP will track the movements of the tagged owls throughout a full annual cycle. My husband, Solomon Woods, and I have funded this project in memory of our son, Eli Woods.
MBCP’s Short-eared Owl Project will be studying the movements of this enigmatic owl using satellite transmitters. Alex Pellegrini explains how this community-funded project started and the progress he and Andy Brown have made towards accomplishing the project’s research goals. Read more
This spring, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) launched a horseshoe crab tagging project in Southern Maryland. CSM is the first “Bird Campus”—a status conferred through Bird City Maryland, a program of Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership. Read more
One of the rewards of being a program volunteer for MBCP’s Farmland Raptor Program is an invitation to attend a chick banding event, in which American Barn Owl or American Kestrel nestlings are weighed, aged, sexed, and outfitted with aluminum alloy leg bands that have a unique tracking number. Read more
Bird City Maryland is the only program in the Bird City Network that asks communities to choose a Signature Bird. Many Bird City communities have used this assignment to engage and educate their communities in creative ways. Read more
The barn owl is one of the most beloved farmland raptors worldwide, but in Maryland, it’s in deep trouble. By attaching tiny transmitters to barn owls captured on their breeding grounds, MBCP will track the movements of the tagged owls throughout a full annual cycle. My husband, Solomon Woods, and I have funded this project in memory of our son, Eli Woods.
MBCP’s Short-eared Owl Project will be studying the movements of this enigmatic owl using satellite transmitters. Alex Pellegrini explains how this community-funded project started and the progress he and Andy Brown have made towards accomplishing the project’s research goals. Read more
One of the rewards of being a program volunteer for MBCP’s Farmland Raptor Program is an invitation to attend a chick banding event, in which American Barn Owl or American Kestrel nestlings are weighed, aged, sexed, and outfitted with aluminum alloy leg bands that have a unique tracking number. Read more
American Barn Owls have been confirmed to be nesting in Carroll County for the first time in five years by Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership’s (MBCP) monitoring team. This exciting observation is even more notable since this pair has chosen to nest in an MBCP nest box installed just this past winter. Read more
College students are gaining college credit and field research experience with MBCP’s Farmland Raptor Program. “The data that our interns are collecting are contributing to global research. This research will help to guide conservation actions,” explains Andy Brown, internship supervisor. Read more.
In January, Farmland Raptor Program volunteer Michelle Huston climbed to the top of a silo to install a nest box for American Barn Owls with her husband Jayson who assembled the box below. Michelle tells the story of how they became volunteers and regional box managers for the program. Read more.
Scout Matt Florez led a Scout project in December 2025 to build eight American Barn Owl nest boxes for the Maryland Farmland Raptor Program. Read Matt’s story about how he became inspired to take on this project. Read more.
The Maryland Farmland Raptor Program has made it easier than ever to help with building nest boxes for barn owls and kestrels with a series of YouTube videos demonstrating how-to construct three different types of nest boxes. Read more.
American Kestrels are almost entirely absent during the breeding season on the Lower Eastern Shore, according to data collected during the Maryland and DC Breeding Bird Atlas 3. The Maryland Farmland Raptor Program is working to bring the iconic raptor back. Read more.
