We are currently accepting donations to fund the 2026 owl banding and educational events. Please join us in our efforts to continue this important research!
Spring Birdathon Weekend
Join us for the second annual Friends of Whitefish Point Birdathon Weekend, May 15-17, 2026. You can choose to register for the whole weekend, or just select events. Our main event is the Birdathon dinner on Saturday, May 16, with a presentation about Albatross work on Midway Atoll by Kyan Russell. We hope you will join us!
Visit the Whitefish Point Owl Banding Station
The Friends of Whitefish Point runs an Owl Banding Station during the spring, summer and fall at Whitefish Point. Visit and learn about the wonders of migrating owls and their adaptations and migratory journeys throughout the country. You may even have a chance to see an owl up close!
Projects
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Owl banding
We conduct spring, summer and fall owl banding. Migrant owl banding is our core activity.
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Nest Boxes
We monitor over 150 Northern Saw-whet Owl nest boxes annually to increase the understanding of their breeding biology.
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Project SNOWstorm
We have been collaborators in Project SNOWstorm since the winter of 2014-15 and have banded 20 Snowy Owls in Michigan.
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Migratory Connectivity
We have two connectivity projects- a collaboration working with Saw-whet Owls and a new Long-eared project.
Support us
If you are interested in helping Friends of Whitefish Point continue our important work in 2026, we are currently focused on gathering donations to fund the three seasons of field work. Donations can be made by clicking the donation button below. To explore other ways to help us or to join our volunteers, click on “Get involved”.
“Few places in North America have been as pivotal for bird migration research, especially owl migration, as Whitefish Point on the Upper Peninsula. The Friends of Whitefish Point are crucial for continuing this important work.”
— Scott Weidensaul
— Author of “A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds”
Partners
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Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Advancing the conservation of birds in Wisconsin and throughout the Western Great Lakes Region through coordinated research, monitoring and education.
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Project Owlnet
Facilitating communication, cooperation and innovation among hundreds of owl-migration researchers in North America. Project Owlnet makes it easier for ornithologists to understand owl movements and biology.
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Northeast Motus Collaboration
Creating an interior northeastern U.S. telemetry network to track migratory animals – connecting enormous expanses of land through scientific research, for the benefit of both humans and wildlife.
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Project SNOWstorm
A unique collaboration of more than 40 scientists, bird banders, and wildlife health professionals. Project SNOWstorm has followed the movements of 105 Snowy Owls, collecting 250,000 to document their movements in astounding detail.
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Canadian Migration Monitoring Network
A collaboration of bird observatories and bird banding stations across Canada that measure vital long-term data on population trends of 200 difficult to monitor northern bird species, including owls.
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Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
One of the premier raptor migration sites in North America. HRBO has been conducting systematic raptor counts and raptor banding since 1972.