CHICAGO — With spring migration picking up and warmer days ahead, researchers are preparing for another season of bird banding — an effort to understand how local birds are faring and future challenges they may face. Bird banding generally involves attaching a numbered, lightweight aluminum band to a bird’s leg. The process, which requires a federal permit, allows researchers to track birds as they’re subsequently spotted. It can lead to data that would otherwise be difficult to come by: how long birds are living, where they’re coming from or returning to, and even how they’re responding to c…

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