Hands-on learning at the Rice Center: the net of it

Last week, VCU’s Summer Ornithology Lab mist-netted birds around the Rice Center. Students set up fine-fibered nylon nets and practiced extracting, identifying and measuring birds caught in the nets. Students were able to handle both year-round resident birds — such as northern cardinals, Carolina chickadees and tufted titmice — as well as migrants here just for the summer, including prothonotary warblers, wood thrush and red-eyed vireos.

Just before closing the nets, students were rewarded with two very special birds: an indigo bunting and an ovenbird. Both are migratory breeders that are commonly heard, but difficult to see, around the Rice Center.