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| Female rufous hummingbird banded by Mark Armstrong yesterday in Crossville |
Right on schedule, the season for wintering hummingbirds has begun.
Licensed bander Mark Armstrong forwarded this photo of a female rufous hummingbird he banded yesterday at a home in Crossville.
The current recommended protocol is to keep at least one feeder out until Christmas just in case. Remember sugar water freezes at 27 degrees, so you have to make allowances for sudden drops in temperature. Positioning you feeder near a floodlight may be all it takes.
As of December 2017, a total of 238 wintering hummingbirds have been banded in Tennessee; six different western species: rufous, calliope, black-chinned, Anna’s, Allen’s and broad-tailed, plus our own ruby-throats that are caught after November 15. But by far, most of the wintering hummers have been rufouses.
For the complete history of wintering hummingbirds in our state look for my article in the current issue of The Tennessee Conservationist.
ALSO, be on the lookout for a buff-bellied hummingbird. They have been banded in the states around Tennessee, but never here.
If you have any hummingbird at your feeder, even a late-season rubythroat, please let me know through the comment section below and I will bounce your information on to Mark.
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| Be on the lookout for a buff-bellied hummingbird |
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