Re: [MDOsprey] Hummingbird Search
Guineabird@aol.com
Fri, 25 Jun 1999 07:35:42 EDT
In MD, Gerta Deterer of Wild Bird Rescue Inc. Tele: 410-288- 4546 -
no email, is a local rehaber from Dundalk (Baltimore.) She's an excellent
source of info & has some lovely stories about hummers she has saved.
My favorite source of accurate & up to date hummingbird info is a
service called Humnet, think it's out of LA. At any rate, the contributors
are mainly banders from the south but many other areas of the country are
represented also. Most all of them share their accumulated info
enthusiastically & generously.
Bob Sargent at: RubyThroat@aol.com or tele: 205-681-2888, is one of Humnet's
contributing senior banders. Bob is a colorful, dedicated, articulate guy who
will be more than willing to help you out with "stories, myths, truth, etc."
The following is an explanation of torpor that Sargent wrote up last winter
in response to a rufus in PA that was probably handled incorrectly. Sargent's
story concerns the first Alabama record for a Calliope. It was put into the
deep freeze by a little old well meaning lady.
When a bird, any bird, perches and sleeps it will lock its feet to the perch.
In the case of hummingbirds, they can appear to be frozen to a limb or vine.
In addition, a hummer in torpor looks dead! They will be abnormally fluffed
and cold to the touch, COLD TO THE TOUCH. I have PERSONALLY known several
instances in which well
intentioned folk broke the feet and legs of hummingbirds in torpor. In
addition, I have known PERSONALLY of birds found "cold and frozen" to a perch
being removed and placed in the deep freezer to be saved for local museum or
college study collections.
Bob can also explain a comparatively new and fascinating method that banders
use to age hummers. The method was first published in '72 by Fernando
Ortez-Crispo who lives in Ecuador. As I recall - but could be wrong -
Fernando has relatives in the Balto area.
Sheri Williamson's web site from the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory
address: http://www.sabo.org/hbfaqs.htm has some commonly asked hummer
questions (see below-the answers are on the web site.) Sheri's email address
is: otter@PRIMENET.COM
How many species of hummingbirds are there, and how many are found where I
live?
How long do hummingbirds live?
What if I have a "brown thumb" or don't have space for a hummingbird garden?
What is the best kind of hummingbird feeder?
What solution should I use to fill my feeder?
Wouldn't honey be more natural to use than white sugar?
What about red dye? Don't hummingbirds need a colored solution?
Are commercial nectar mixes better than plain sugar water?
Is it true that I have to take my hummingbird feeders down at the end of the
summer or the birds won't migrate?
Do hummingbirds really migrate on the backs of geese?
How far do hummingbirds migrate?
What can I do to help ensure that hummingbirds are around for future
generations to learn from and enjoy?
Sorry, haven't found any nests around here this year plus many of the hummers
have fledged by now, but Bob Sargent says he has one in Alabama built 50 ft
over an automobile junk yard!
Good luck on the article,
Gail Frantz
Reisterstown, MD