Perched precariously in a tree over 30 feet in the air, Kelly Kozij acts quickly as someone on the ground yells "we've got a jumper!"

He grabs the two young Great Horned Owls that have jumped out of their nest only a few feet above his head before they get too far.

Kozij then tackles the task of putting small metal bands on the legs of the winged creatures that are surprised to see him.

Meanwhile, his crew on the ground keep an eye out for mom and dad who are circling above.

Wearing a helmet with a shield over his eyes and thick gloves, Kozij said owls will strike and cause serious injury.

"I would say great horned owls are the most aggressive birds we deal with," said Martin Bailey, who's been banding birds of prey for about 15 years.

"An owl can kill you, or you can get nailed real bad," Bailey added.

There are several risks associated with banding birds, he said, such as falling out of a tree or getting struck by a bird's claws or beak.

The reason for banding the owls and other birds is important, however, Bailey said, because it helps keep track of the population.

Owls, like many other birds, often travel to different places and if the population mysteriously starts to decrease, researchers need to know how many previously existed in the area and what some of their habits are.

"If something unknown happens and you actually have to decide what can we do to save the rest of them, if you don't have all of this background information, you have no place to start," Bailey said.

Information gathered from these types of banding expeditions can range from productivity of the parents to what they eat.

As Kozij describes what he sees in the nest from his vantage point in the tree, Tim Kerslake records the information.

This includes how many owls are in the nest, their approximate age and what is leftover from recent meals.

Kozij said they will find parts of jackrabbits, ducks, rats, mice and sometimes smaller birds.

"The information we find on this expedition will be forwarded to the bird banding lab in Maryland," Kozij said, explaining a North American database of this information is kept up by the United States Fish and Wildlife Department.

The recording of this information has been happening for over 80 years, Bailey said, noting the data is likely to be fairly accurate after being recorded for a long period of time.

Bailey noted that banding any type of bird requires a valid banding license, which Kozij possesses, and it is with the "goodwill of the landowners in the area" that they are able to obtain permission to actually do the banding.

If the owls are found in the future, the band can help determine how old the owl is and where it is originally from.

"By standardizing the system and having everyone use the same bands," Kozij said, "a lot more can be learned about any particular species."

John Whitell has been a hunter for years and he said after getting to know Bailey, he got interested in banding birds.

Being familiar with the area and people around Weyburn helps him keep track of where nests and owls have been sighted.

"I just basically make a mental note when I see (owls) in the fall," Whitell said.

Since the group started banding this spring, Whitell said they've seen 42 adults and when they finish banding, they will have come in contact with nearly 70 owls.

Whitell estimates that's within an area of about 250-300 square miles around Weyburn, but noted "undoubtedly we're missing some too."