Bird trapping for biological research. Ash- breasted sierra-finch (Phrygilus plebejus) caught in a mist net. Mist nets are used by ornithologists as a method of capturing wild birds for banding (tagging) or other research purposes. The net is checked regularly to prevent the bird from further entangling and harming itself. Photographed at the site of the new Quito Airport, in the Inter-Andean valley, near Quito, Ecuador.