Hummingbird Banding & Research

Winter Hummingbirds 

Rufous HummingbirdMany folks east of the Mississippi River enjoy Ruby-throated hummingbirds from mid-April to mid-October but did you know that a hummingbird might visit for a brief time or even spend the winter in your yard?? Since 1990 hummingbird banders in the east have banded a variety of western hummingbirds. Here in Tennessee there have been ~300 to date.

SEAR would like to suggest that you leave a feeder up all winter placing it where you can observe and easily maintain it. Perhaps outside the window where you eat breakfast in the morning or where you first observe the weather for any given day. Partially fill your feeder with a mixture of the standard 1 part white table sugar and 4 parts water. Please remember NO RED DYE or red food coloring. You can leave it up overnight or bring it in at dark and hang it back out at first light. Please also remember that sugar water has a lower freeze point so unless you get a string of days below freezing your nectar will not freeze solid.

Winter hummingbirds are not lost birds. They often demonstrate great site fidelity and spend the entire winter in one location. Some return to winter at the same home year after year and are considered “family members”. These hummingbirds are cold hardy and will not be harmed by the winter weather for if they can’t “make a living” in your yard they will migrate to a location where they can survive.

Collaborations between winter hummingbird hosts and researchers are shedding light on the behavior of vagrant birds once written off as lost and doomed. Not only are these hummingbirds much tougher and better oriented than previously assumed, but their migratory behavior is turning out to be far more flexible than even experts would have imagined!

If you see a hummingbird at your feeder or in your yard between November 1st and March 15th please attempt to contact your nearest hummingbird bander and report that bird to them.  If you State is not listed here contact us and we’ll put you in contact with them. In doing so, you will not only help advance winter hummingbird research but have the distinct pleasure of being a winter hummingbird host.

Winter Hummingbird Contact List

If you see a hummingbird at your feeder or in your yard between November 1st and March 15th please contact the nearest hummingbird bander and report that bird to them.  If you don’t see your State listed, contact us routledges@bellsouth.net and we’ll put you in touch with your State’s winter bander.  Please note this is not a comprehensive list but only a representation of a few of the many devoted hummingbird banders.

Fred and Brandee Moore

foxsparrow@yahoo.com

205-490-4911

Fred Bassett

fhound@aol.com

334-868-9658

Emma Rhodes or Kyle Shepherd

kyle@bandingcoalition.org or banding@bandingcoalition.org

(251) 597-4782

Lina Rifai

lrifai@iuk.edu

Amy Wilms

wilmsab@gmail.com

765-309-2958

Tana Beasley

tkmb96@suddenlink.net

870-830-4531

Anthony Hill

Anhinga13@hotmail.com

413- 575-4809

Bruce Peterjohn

bpeterjohn@verizon.net

301-497-1629

Fred Dietrich

fdietrich@gmail.com

Fred Bassett

fhound@aol.com

334-868-9658

Emma Rhodes or Kyle Shepherd

kyle@bandingcoalition.org or banding@bandingcoalition.org

(251) 597-4782

Fred Bassett

fhound@aol.com

334-868-9658

Amy Wilms

wilmsab@gmail.com

765-309-2958

Nancy Newfield

nancy@casacolibri.net 

503-338-3882

Erik Johnson

Erik.Johnson@AUDUBON.ORG

Cyndi Routledge

routledges@bellsouth.net

931-206-3517

Cyndi Routledge

routledges@bellsouth.net

Kyle Shepherd or Emma Rhodes

kyle@bandingcoalition.org or banding@bandingcoalition.org

(251) 597-4782

Allen Chartier

Amazilla3@gmail.com or 313-433-5002

Bruce Peterjohn

bpeterjohn@verizon.net

301-497-1629

Vernon Kleen

vkleen@comcast.net

313-433-5002

Cathie Hutcheson

cathieannhutcheson@gmail.com

Mark Monroe or Brainard Palmer-Ball

markmonroe1@gmail.com or 502-3303998

Scott Weidensaul

scottweidensaul@verizon.net

Anthony Hill

Anhinga13@hotmail.com

413- 575-4809

Scott Weidensaul

570-294-2335

scottweidensaul@verizon.net

Lanny Chambers

Lanny@hummingbirds.net

636-225-1487

Susan Campbell

Susan@ncaves.com

901- 949-3297

Mark Armstrong

WoodThrush@bellsouth.net

Dwayne Martin

828-234-6041

Sandy Lockerman

sandylockerman@yahoo.net

717-329-8040

Mark Armstrong

woodthrush@bellsouth.net

865-748-2224

Mark Meyers

971-232-2467

Sue Heath

susan.heath888@gmail.com

979-480-0999

Kelly Bryan

432-249-0681

Anthony Hill

Anhinga13@hotmail.com

413- 575-4809

Bruce Peterjohn

bpeterjohn@verizon.net

301-497-1629

Bruce Peterjohn

bpeterjohn@verizon.net

301-497-1629

Wintering Hummingbirds Banded by SEAR

Allen's Hummingbird
Mexican Violtear
Rufous Hummingbird

Hummingbird Banding Images

Banding a Black-chinned Hummingbird
Measuring a wing
Hooded Warbler