HUMMINGBIRDS ON-LINE!
Monthly E-Newsletter #2
Edited by H. Ross Hawkins, President

January 29, 2002

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GREETINGS! This brief newsletter is intended to
provide you with timely, interesting information
about hummingbirds. We welcome your feedback
society and suggestions; send them to info@hummingbird.org
with the Subject:  E-LETTER


THIS MONTH:
   - Southeastern US in the winter:  A new hummingbird
      hotspot??
   - Documenting where the hummers go in winter
   - Winter garden planning
---------
** SPECIAL SUBSCRIBER DISCOUNT FOR
FEBRUARY ** (only for subscribers)
New this month!  The first HUMMINGBIRDS OF NORTH
AMERICA FIELD GUIDE, a Peterson Field Guide series,
by Sheri Williamson.

Written by one of the most knowledgeable and capable
writers in this field, this 262-page field guide is loaded
with color photos to help differentiate the species. Also
includes the most thorough and up-to-date range maps for
North American hummingbird species. For EACH species,
includes the following information:
   physical description/similar species/sounds/behavior
   /habitat/distribution and range map/status and conservation
   /subspecies and taxonomic relationships/plumage variation
   and molt/references - - THOROUGH!   5x7.5 inches.
Regular price:  $22.00 ("flexi-back"; hardback add $8)
Price to subscribers:  $17.50 (and if you're a member,
      take an additional 10% off this!) (hardback add $8).
ORDER ON-LINE and insert discount coupon 72943 to
get this price.
---------

THIS MONTH'S FEATURE:

SOUTHEASTERN U.S. IN THE WINTER: A NEW
HUMMINGBIRD HOTSPOT??
Written by Eirik A. T. Blom, a member of the Humming-
bird Society's Conservation Advisory Board, a columnist
and contributor to Birdwatcher's Digest and other publications.

       The Southeast US has become the winter hummingbird
capital of North America.
       The discovery has the bird watching world chattering
from coast to coast. The hummingbird phenomenon, virtually
unknown a decade ago, has people rescheduling their vaca-
tions and has created a volume of e-mail that threatens to
overwhelm the system. From New Orleans to Ft. Lauderdale and
north to Nashville and Atlanta, hummingbirds are dominating
the bird watching agenda.
       Ho hum, you say. Nice little things hummingbirds are,
but why should the obsession of a few bird watchers
matter? Consider the facts. According to surveys, bird
watching is the fastest growing outdoor recreational
activity in the country. More than 60 million (yes, that is
million) Americans consider themselves bird watchers. That
is a lot of people, spending a lot of money. At least 50
million of them consider themselves backyard bird watchers.
That is, they have a bird feeder and they enjoy having
birds visit. Looking out of the window while they are enjoying
the first morning cup of coffee and seeing a few
birds brightens their day.
       Few things brighten a bird watcher's day like a hummingbird.
Hummingbirds have a special place in most bird watcher's
hearts. They are daring, gaudy, improbable creatures, full
of energy.
       They are the only birds in the world that can fly
backward as easily as they fly forward. They are fierce,
dive-bombing anything or anyone who gets too close to
their nest or their favorite feeding spot. They can't
actually do any harm, but it is hard not to love a bird the
size of a moth that will get in the face of a full grown
human being or an owl.
       No one knows how many people feed hummingbirds. There
are a dozen or more companies that specialize in hummingbird
feeders. They are all making money and all say sales are sky
rocketing. There are hummingbird societies and hummingbird
festivals that attract hundreds of visitors, to the delight
of the local merchants and Chambers of Commerce. You can't
walk around any neighborhood in the United States without
seeing a few hummingbird feeders. It is a subterranean
economy, but it is a big one and it is growing.
       So why the Southeast? After all, most bird watchers
know that there is only one hummingbird in the East, the
ruby-throated. The West is where there are hummingbirds,
more than a dozen kinds. Why are all eyes turned towards
Baton Rouge and Ft. Myers and dozens of other towns along
the Gulf Coast every winter?
       The answer is that sometimes what we know to be true
isn't. For more than a hundred years we knew that humming-
birds went to Central and South America in the winter. Then
a few people in New Orleans started leaving their
hummingbird feeders up all winter, and to the amazement of
the bird watching world, they got hummingbirds. Not just
ruby-throated hummingbirds either. They got a lot of those
western birds that are not supposed to be in the East.
Hummingbirds with names like Rufous and Allen's and Anna's
and Calliope and Buff-bellied. Exotic birds, hundreds and
thousands of miles from where they were supposed to be.
       The word spread. People in Alabama and Mississippi
and Georgia and Florida started leaving their feeders up,
and a lot of them found they had hummingbirds spending the
winter. Bird watchers and ornithologists were amazed. What
was happening? Why weren't these birds doing what we
expect? How long had this been going on? How many
hummingbirds were there out there anyway? Before long, what
had been a quiet little group of friends became a fast
growing network. Using e-mail and phone calls, the
hummingbird connection spread across the Southeast.
       Now there are hundreds of people involved, but we
know it is only the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands
of people with hummingbird feeders in the region and the
number is growing rapidly. They hold the key to many of the
unanswered questions but we need to hear from them. The
bird watching world is being turned on its ear and you can
be part of it if you have a hummingbird visiting your back
yard or your feeder any time from November through March.
All it takes is a phone call, and it is a free one at that.
       The Hummingbird Society is working with people who
feed hummingbirds and ornithologists to try and get a
handle on the Southeast phenomenon. We are looking for
every report. All you have to do is call us at 1-800-529-
3699 ... or email rhawkins@hummingbirdsociety.org
       We'll log in your report and pass it on to the
experts in your area. Chances are one of them will call and
make an appointment to drop by and see your feathered 
visitor. If you are not sure what kind of hummingbird you
have, they'll be glad to help and they will answer  any
questions you have. They'll put you in touch with other
hummingbird hosts in the area. From then on, you are one of
the family, an integral part of a group that is changing
the way we think about hummingbirds.

DOCUMENTING WHERE THE HUMMERS GO IN WINTER

       As you might guess from the preceding article, the
surprise at seeing an "extralimital" hummingbird in the
Southeast -- or anywhere for that matter -- immediately
poses the question: where did this bird come from??
       They've been asked, but they're not telling. That
presently leaves us with only one choice: put a unique
label on each bird, then see if anyone catches it later in
a different place (and notices the 6-character code on his
leg band identifier).
       The dedicated people who go to the trouble of
attaching these unique identifiers are called BANDERS
because of the numbered bands (called rings in the UK) they
attach. They are unpaid researchers, dedicated to their
craft, and always hopeful that the information gleaned from
their work will promote better hummingbird science. There
are less than 50 (!) of these federally licensed
hummingbird banders in the US.
       When a bird has been caught (not easy!) the bander
quickly records all the information possible about it: 
weight (ask yourself how they ask it to hold still for the
process), dimensions, evidence of disease, fat layers, etc.
After this is recorded, the bird is given an opportunity to
feed, then released. The information is then forwarded to
the US Bird Banding Laboratory, a government agency.
       The bands are quite tiny: 1.6 mm wide x 6.4 mm long
before being formed in to a circular band, which carries a
code like Y35667 on one side. It weighs 0.0003 ounces (.008
grams) which is tiny compared to the 3.0 grams the average
hummingbird weighs. For reference, 3 grams is about the
weight of 6 average-size paper clips.
       The hope is that in the future, someone will encounter
this bird and forward the band number to the BBL,
where it can be matched up with its source. In this way,
long-term as well as short-term movements can be documented.
       Unfortunately with so few banders at work, the odds
for such recoveries are disappointingly small, although
they do occur and provide valuable insights into consistency
of location and migration routes.
       The Hummingbird Society is proud to do what it can to
support the work of the dedicated banders.

WINTER GARDEN PLANNING

       Now is the time to start thinking about what you will
plant to attract hummers to your home/yard/apartment
this year. Maybe you already have been!
       Before suggesting some choices, keep in mind that your
particular location will dictate whether some (or any)
of the plant families recommended will work for you. In
addition, always include some hummingbird flowers native to
your area -- the hummers will be quick to recognize them.
Don't let that keep you from trying the special cultivars
available, however, because many are rich in nectar and are
superb hummer favorites.
       FIRST: don't just use one plant type, because it will
be helpful in attracting hummers only during its
blooming season. Pick a mixture  that will offer SOMETHING
in bloom from the first day of arrival to the last day
before they depart. The blooming period will vary depending
on your location, so seek local help.
       SECOND:  Emphasize perennials, where possible. It will
save you SO much time! And the time saved can be put
to use by experimenting with new species each year. I LOVE
perennials.
       THIRD:  Hummers have a distinct preference for red to
orange colored flowers, although they will visit anything
that provides them nectar. Keep that in mind as you select
the particular species within a flower family.

      HERE ARE THE "TOP TEN" PLANT FAMILIES FOR
HUMMINGBIRD GARDENS, according to hummer expert Sheri
Williamson in her book "Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds":
MINT - Salvia, Agastache, Monarda
HONEYSUCKLE - Lonicera (not all are invasive vines)
PENSTEMONS -
MALLOW - Malvaviscus, Abutilon, Alcea, Hibiscus
MORNING GLORIES - Ipomoea
COLUMBINES - Aquilegia
LOBELIAS -
BIGNONIA - Campsis, Bignonia, Chilopsis, Tecomaria
EVENING PRIMROSE - Epilobium, Zauschneria, Fuchsia
ACANTHUS - Anisacanthus, Justicia
   Remember:  it is usually the red to orange flowering
species and varieties that are best for hummers!

NEXT MONTH:
    More garden planning:  some new flower species to
        attract hummingbirds
    Feeders: some important considerations before buying
        new ones
    What are the BEST Hummingbird Books?

AVAILABILITY: Books described in this letter might be
available locally where you live, but you help hummingbirds
by buying from The Hummingbird Society, where you can order
by phone to (800) 529-3699 or (302) 369-3699, or fax to
(302) 369-1816, or by mail to PO Box 394, Newark,
DE 19715.

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Thanks.