Ruby-throated Hummingbird Migration

I'm stuck on hummingbirds right now.  They are so entertaining that I can't get enough of watching them.  I have a ring-side seat right in front of the nectar feeders--four of them--and the birds don't seems to mind. With this intimate view, I see lots of interesting behaviors.  

Like juveniles 'flight-wrestling'.  With tails fanned, their bodies in vertical positions, they circle each other,  moving up and down until one of them finally dominates.  On three separate occasions while watching these maneuvers, I've seen both birds hit the ground.  I'm never fast enough to capture it with my camera, but my jaw drops every time.  And I think to myself, they're practicing, preparation for survival on their wintering grounds, and they're exercising, getting stronger, becoming more skilled in flight maneuvers and quickness.  That just stirs my heart.  

And I'm always intrigued when I see shifts in the feeder dominance.  For example, when three white-throated birds settle on a  single feeder together almost at the same time, with no dispute at all.  Is this just three seriously thirsty hummingbirds, a group of timid juveniles, or maybe my resident female with her fledglings?  I did manage to capture the fledgling you see above, who perched for a long time and drank without interruption.  It made me wonder if I had been seeing the parent female among the quarreling birds, quickly intervening when others flew in.  If you look closely at the image (click to enlarge), you can see the fledgling's gape.  His mouth is slightly open.

Above, Ruby-throated hummingbird male

And then there are the times that I see two males settle on the feeder together.  Wow, I think, a couple of no-nonsense travelers with no time to quarrel.  Below you'll see a series of images of a male perched as a juvenile joins him on the feeder, another fun moment.   After watching the loud buzzing and high-speed dives of some of the males who perform these maneuvers from high oak limbs, watching a juvenile settle beside a male on the nectar feeder feels like a sweet moment even if the motivations are far from it.

Eventually, it had to end.  They always seem to depart with a burst of aggression.

New visitors to the feeders seem to come in waves.  I can tell when they are perched on limbs overhead waiting to advance by the continuous chirps from the guards, which today at times, numbered five.  In an instant, those waiting seem to descend all at once.  The more aggressive birds give chase and while they are gone, a quick glance at the feeders reveals other hummers have quietly slipped to the feeders to drink.

For more images and stories about this year's Ruby-throated hummingbirds, visit Delightful Hummingbird Fledglings, Hummer Smiles and Surprises, and Peak Hummingbird Viewing Days.  To read more about how banding hummingbirds is helping us to discover many new things about their migration, visit Hummingbird Banding.  You might also enjoy seeing my sketch of a Downy Woodpecker and a hummer at the feeder together.  They actually did drink from the feeder at the same time.

For more resources and information about hummingbirds, visit The Hummer/Bird Study Group.

Banding Reveals Hummingbird Migration Surprises

"This male was wiggling and chirping. Helps to think he's cussing the bander instead of crying out from fright." Sketchbook note, 7-11-09, Vickie Henderson.It is easy to make this leap. Even Bob Sargent, a man who has dedicated his life to studying the tiniest of birds, refers to them as mean. In fact, he says, don't bother to space your feeders far apart to keep them from fighting. You can't stop them. Despite this characteristic, hummingbirds are among the most popular and beloved of birds.
Banding gives researchers many clues into the lives of these little birds. When the bird is captured the bander measures the wing, tail and beak and checks for beak grooving, molt, gorget feathers and fat. All these measures help determine the age and sex of the bird. Females, no matter what age, have a longer wing and beak. Young birds have some buffy edging to the feathering on the head and back and have grooving along the top of the beak that disappears as the bird ages. Young males usually have a couple of gorget feathers and some heavy throat streaking but not always. The most reliable characteristic is their shorter wing and beak. All this data gives researchers valuable information about the individual, as well as, the health and behavior of the species population, including where they nest and winter. The bulk of Ruby-throated hummingbirds have usually vacated the United States by November 1, but a few are seen as late as November 15 and some winter along the Gulf coast. But keep your nectar feeders up in the winter. While you are unlikely to get a Ruby-throated since they are not cold hardy, other species are. Anna's hummingbirds, typically found in Arizona and Texas have been recorded in Alabama and Tennessee during the winter; Broad-billed hummers native to Arizona has been banded in Alabama; the even more rare Buff-billed hummer has been found in Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina; and the Magnificent hummer has been recorded in Georgia and Alabama. In all, fourteen species have been documented in the eastern United states: Ruby-throated, Black-chinned, Rufous, Allen's, Broad-tailed, Anna's, Costa's, Calliope, Buff-bellied, White-eared, Green Violet-ear, Magnificent, Broad-billed and Green-breasted Mango.
If you see a hummer at your feeder after November 15th, it will likely be one of these unexpected species. In all states, you may call or email Bob and Martha Sargent:
Rubythroat(at)aol(dot)com or 205-681-2888. They will either come to your location to band and document the bird or send someone from your area. Find more information on hummingbirds and banding activities at Hummer Bird Study Group.
A special thanks to Mark Armstrong, Master Bird Bander and president of the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society for the aging information provided in this post.

Hummingbird Migration--Leave a Winter Feeder Out!

Ruby-throated hummingbird migration through Tennessee is winding down.  Most people assume all hummers are gone.  It is true that the majority of migrating hummers are well south of Tennessee now, but there are some late individuals coming through.  

Last night I had two in the evening, one perched next to the pineapple sage, nectaring and resting, nectaring and resting, with no feeder visits.  The second was perched high on a limb and made a brief visit to the flowers before being chased away by the first bird.

This morning I also had two ruby-throats visiting the pineapple sage. Both of these birds also visited the feeders briefly and were seen between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.  In the days previous, the hummers I have observed have only been nectaring the salvia, both the black and blue variety and the pineapple sage.  

I have had good luck with the pineapple sage I planted this spring and it is blooming profusely right now. The salvia family seems to love the cooler season and the hummingbirds love the salvia. Below, a hummer visiting the pineapple sage yesterday, Oct 12th.

Yesterday, I also went to a presentation given by Mark Armstrong, a Master Bander of hummingbirds and the person in our area to contact when we have a wintering hummingbird. Leaving a feeder out is a good thing to do if you live in the southeast. It is not that the hummingbirds that winter in our area need our feeders, but having a feeder out enables us to see them more readily and learn about these birds.

Above you see an immature Rufous Hummingbird that was captured and banded in January of 2011 in west Knoxville.  This hummingbird returned to the same area and was recaptured in December of 2012 as a healthy mature male.  Below, a slide presented by Mark in his presentation at Wild Birds Unlimited in Knoxville with historical information about wintering Rufous Hummingbirds in the southeast.

Bob Sargent has been banding Rufous hummingbirds in the east since the 1980's and his research suggests that a hardy strain of Rufous Hummingbirds is developing that is genetically programmed to winter in the southeast.

Mark explained that there are always hummingbirds that deviate from the expected migration route but the increase in Rufous hummingbirds doesn't fit with random events.  Hummers will travel to areas where the climate and food is beneficial to their survival and some are clearly drifting east and returning on a regular basis. Mark reported that all of the Rufous Hummingbirds he has banded are healthy, molting and growing new feathers, have a good level of fat, and clearly are fairing very well in the east Tennessee winter climate. These hummers depend on natural sources of nectar, insects, and tree sap to sustain their diet in the winter.

Allen's Hummingbird that wintered in Russellville, TN in 2011 and 2012. Photo credit: Billie Cantwell.

There are several species of hummingbirds that have been recorded in Tennessee in addition to the Rufous: Black-chinned Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, and Green Violetear. Unlike the Rufous, other hummingbirds are rare visitors and are not known to return for consecutive years. There are exceptions, such as the Allen's hummer that returned for a second season last year.  

There are many things that remain unknown about hummingbird migration.  Leaving a feeder out for wintering birds allows us to see the hummer and possibly band it so that biologists can learn more about hummingbird migration patterns, changes in these patterns, and about wintering species in the east.

If you live in the east and have a hummingbird visiting a feeder in your yard after November 15th report your observations. For information about who to contact if you have a wintering hummingbird, click this link.

Incubating female Allen's hummingbird sketched from a live webcam by Vickie Henderson.  The Allen's species breeds in coastal California and traditionally winters in northwest Mexico.

Links and Resources:

Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds, Avian Curator at the Knoxville Zoo, and past president of the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society

Blog posts on hummers wintering in Tennessee:
Allen's Hummingbird in east Russellville, TN
Calliope Hummingbird wintering in Nashville, TN
Rufous Hummingbird and Rufous Hummer in Knoxville
Migration Surprises
Hummingbird Study Group

Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival Holds Outstanding Event!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration is in full swing in Tennessee making this an exciting time of year for hummingbird lovers!  

The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird shown above is molting feathers, meaning the old worn ones are falling out and being replaced with new ones.  Tiny white tubules, that become the feather's shaft, hold the feathers as they grow.  Molting during migration is a sign of health, according to Master Bander, Mark Armstrong.  It means the hummingbird has enough energy reserves, or fat stored, for both migration and healthy growth.

Photo credit:  Jody Stone

On Saturday, Aug 22nd, the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society and Ijams Nature Center hosted their fifth annual Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival in Knoxville and the crowd of people attending were enthusiastic and eager to enjoy the many nature activities offered by the festival.

Photo credit:  Tom Howe

Organized by talented KTOS member, Billie Cantwell, the event attracted more than 1300 visitors who enjoyed hummingbird banding, nature walks, wildlife demonstrations, expert speakers, food and arts and crafts vendors and exciting children's activities!

Photo credit:  Susan Baumgardner

The popular highlight of the event is the hummingbird banding demonstrations offered by Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and songbirds.

Photo credit:  Jody Stone.   Mark Armstrong examines a hummingbird.

Below, volunteer Andy Troutman removes a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird from one of the bander's traps.  Hummingbirds enter the trap to access the feeder and a door is lowered with an attached line.  

Photo credit:  Susan Baumgardner.  

Once removed from the trap, the hummer is placed in a mesh bag and transported to the bander.

Photo credit:  Jody Stone  

Photo credit:  Susan Baumgardner.

Mark first checks the hummers legs to be sure there is no current band.  He then secures a numbered band around its leg and examines the hummer for age, sex and health.  Measurements are recorded for the tail and beak and the belly is checked for fat to help determine overall health. If the individual is a juvenile male, he also records the number of red feathers on the throat.

Photo credit:  Jody Stone.

Above, Mark Armstrong attaches a numbered band to a hummingbird's leg.  The small stocking covers the hummers head and helps to keep it calm.  Watch the video below to see banding in progress.

 

Video credit:  Jody Stone

Photo credit:  Susan Baumgarder.

Above, Patty Ford gives visitors a close look at a hummingbird before release and below, she gently places a hummingbird in a child's hand for the release.    

Photo credit:  Jody Stone.

The banding station banded 28 hummingbirds and had one male re-capture that was originally banded at the festival three years ago.  The average life-span of a male hummingbird is 1.4 years and the oldest recorded male hummingbird was five years old.  Our re-captured bird is doing well!

I was introduced to hummingbird banding in 2009 at the first banding demonstration held at Ijams Nature Center, sponsored by KTOS, and it has been exciting to watch this event expand and attract the large crowds attending today.  

Photo credit:  Warren Hamlin.  

Above left, my exhibit table at the festival and (right) Stephen Lyn Bales, author, artist and naturalist discussing his natural history books.

             "Hummingbird and Million Bells" -- watercolor by Vickie Henderson

Links and Resources:

2014 Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival

2013 Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival

2009 Hummingbird Banding

Tennessee Wildside video of 2013 festival

Knoxville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS)

Ijams Nature Center

Peak Hummingbird Viewing Days

In my area, the southeast USA, August and September are prime hummingbird viewing days.  It can be a challenge to understand what activity you're watching, but time spent among them will certainly tug at the heart strings and cause you to marvel at their high-speed lifestyle even more.

In the image above, you see a male Ruby-throated hummingbird chirping a warning to intruders.  As you scroll down the page, the series of images show stages of this same hummer as he is posturing.   The final image is what you see if you're a hummer and you don't heed those warnings fast enough.  A fire ball!


This morning I watched a male ruby-throat feed at the feeder while I drank my morning coffee.  My first thought was, that's not 'the King'.  What's going on here?  The King is my nickname for a male hummer who has claimed the feeders as his breeding territory.  Within minutes, the King appeared, chased away another hummer, and the first male, resting on a branch nearby, swiftly departed.  

According to Bob Sargent, author of Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a male may claim a territory for a period of time and then abandon it to establish another if it is not attracting enough females.   But there are other activities going on this time of year, as well.  Breeding season is coming to an end and male hormone levels are shifting causing a change in focus from breeding to feeding and fattening up for migration.  In addition, we may be seeing many different hummingbirds at the feeder.  In fact, hundreds are traveling through our yards, those we see and five times that many that we don't see, according to Sargent.  

Hummers from northern breeding territories are already migrating and research shows that they may visit the same feeding areas on the same day each year.  The only way we know for sure is through the efforts of hummingbird banding.  Everything we learn from banding our birds helps us know more about how their populations are managing in an environment full of challenges and changes.

For more about this 'King' visit my August post, Hummingbird Days of Summer, at Knoxville's Wild Birds Unlimited.  

You may also enjoy my series The King, about a male hummingbird I followed during the 2008 breeding season and Hummingbird Banding with fascinating information we've learned from banding our hummingbirds.

And watch for my article on bird banding at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, upcoming in the Nov/Dec issue of The Tennessee Conservationist magazine.

Ruby-throat Combat is Serious Business

These are the final days of Ruby-throat migration.  The last of the juveniles and late female breeders will be gone from my area in east Tennessee in a little over a week, as they move southward and eventually arrive in their wintering areas in southern Mexico and Central America.

We often attribute Ruby-throated aggression to high testosterone levels during breeding season, but clearly some of that aggression is pure Ruby-throat personality. In fact, this young bird makes it appear they are born with this aggression and have a timing-mechanism that stimulates its expression by the time they migrate.

On most mornings recently, the hummers drink hurriedly and move on to feed on insects, paying little attention to each other, sometimes even settling on the same feeder to drink.  This morning was different, however, with two juveniles keeping up a relentless dispute over territory that lasted at least fifteen minutes, if not longer.  

Their combat included face to face flight moving high into the air and dropping low into foliage.  Once I saw them land on twigs in close proximity, each seeming to expect the other to leave before they finally tangled in defiance.  Sometimes they directed high speed dives at each other and many times I heard wing buzzing and in-flight "splats" like those you hear at the feeders, but neither would give up dominance.

Eventually, they ended up on the ground. Having seen this before, I expected a brief skirmish with both birds eager to return to the air.  What I saw surprised me.

One bird succeeded in pinning the other to the ground and seemed quite content to keep him there. His posture as he held the bird down gave every indication of victory, with wings spread, neck stretched, looking slowly from side-to-side, as if proud, giving the appearance of dominance posturing.  You can see the top bird's foot in the above image and some of the others. He appears to have the bird pinned by the shoulder and right wing.  It is also likely that his other foot is on the bird's beak since the pinned bird did not raise his head while on the ground.

While holding the downed bird firmly in place, the top hummer proceeded to alternately lift his feet up and down in a "kneading" pattern, his body rocking with the movement. The pace would be similar to the steady rhythm of kneading dough.  A hummer's version of stomping?  This movement and pin-down lasted approximately a full minute and I became concerned that the downed bird might not survive.

As you scroll through the images below, you will see that the bird on the bottom is trying to move, curving his back to struggle free and moving his left wing.

I can't be sure if the top bird was ready to leave and simply lifted off, or if the bird on the bottom wiggled free.  Since I couldn't see the bottom bird clearly while watching, after the top bird flew, I walked over to look at the ground and fully expected to see a dead hummingbird.  Much to my relief, he had flown too.

It is pretty amazing how quickly a hummingbird's life changes from timid fledgling to sword-carrying militant. Clearly this young male is wired for survival!

More about hummingbird aggression 
Bob Sargent on Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Study Group
Other posts on Hummingbird migration