Putting numbered aluminum leg bands on birds provides information on the movement of that bird when the bird is found or recaptured, and the band number is reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory. Listed below are Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) which were originally banded with a numbered aluminum leg band at Mill Creek State Historic Park (spring), just south of Mackinac City, or at Point LaBarbe (fall), near Saint Ignace, during MSRW’s research/banding operations during 2020, 2021, 2022 or 2023. These NSWO were subsequently recaptured at other locations during 2023.
The most information comes from a NSWO with band 1124-49184. It was banded April 20, 2023 at Mill Creek State Historic Park, then recaptured on May 7, 2023 at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. On Jan. 31, 2024 a report was received from the Bird Banding Lab, stating the NSWO was found dead near Paw Paw, Van Buren Co., Michigan. These band recoveries show us that this NSWO traveled north across the Mackinac Straits in spring, to Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, and then traveled back south through the Straits during fall migration, probably wintering in southern Michigan.
A few NSWO banded in the spring are then recaptured a few weeks later at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, about 80 miles to the north. However, most recaptures do not show any direct movement within a short period of time.
NSWO Banded at Mill Creek State Historic Park (spring migration)
| Date Banded | Band Number | Date Recovered | Location Recovered |
| 5/5/2022 | 1124-37847 | 3/28/2023 | 0.3 mile WNW of Grand View, Cheboygan Co. |
| 4/8/2023 | 1124-49164 | 4/13/2023 | Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO), Mi. |
| 4/3/2021 | 1124-30113 | 3/22/2023 | WPBO |
| 4/20/2023 | 1124-49184 | 5/7/2023 | WPBO |
| 4/15/2023 | 1124-49180 | 10/7/2023 | Point LaBarbe |
| 4/11/2022 | 1124-37827 | 10/16/2023 | near Moulin-a-Baude, Quebec, Canada |
| 4/26/2023 | 1124-49186 | 10/17/2023 | Point LaBarbe |
| 3/21/2023 | 1124-49109 | 9/28/2023 | Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Minn. |
| 4/13/2023 | 1124-49176 | 10/16/2023 | Woodland Dunes Nature Center, Wisc. |
| 4/20/2023 | 1124-49184 | 1/31/2024 | Paw Paw, Van Buren Co., Mi. (found dead) |
NSWO Banded at Point LaBarbe (fall migration)
| Date Banded | Band Number | Date Recovered | Location Recovered |
| 10/5/2022 | 1124-37951 | 4/12/2023 | Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO), Mi. |
| 10/30/2022 | 1124-49049 | 4/10/2023 | WPBO |
| 10/29/2022 | 1124-49045 | 4/11/2023 | Mill Creek State Historic Park |
| 10/22/2022 | 1124-48916 | 4/11/2023 | Mill Creek State Historic Park |
| 10/15/2021 | 1124-31253 | 4/7/2023 | Mill Creek State Historic Park |
| 10/31/2020 | 0924-40929 | 5/10/2023 | WPBO |
| 10/27/2022 | 1124-48999 | 5/11/2023 | WPBO |
| 10/17/2022 | 1124-30587 | 10/25/2023 | 1.5 mi SSW from Lagoon Beach, Bay Co., MI |
| 10/26/2020 | 1124-24348 | 10/13/2023 | WPBO |
| 10/17/2022 | 1124-30595 | 10/14/2023 | WPBO |
| 10/23/2022 | 1124-48941 | 10/14/2023 | WPBO |
| 10/6/2021 | 1124-30280 | 10/22/2023 | Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Minn. |
| 9/30/2023 | 1124-54874 | 12/7/2023 | Ontario, Canada |
| 10/1/2022 | 1124-37883 | 11/7/2023 | Woodland Dunes Nature Center, Two Rivers, Wisc. |
