TUCSON HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT

Spreading the beauty of hummingbirds throughout the city

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Instructions
Feeder information
Hummingbird ID
Data collection
Report your data
Science and Conservation
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Project's instructions

You are taking the first steps in adding natural beauty to your yard, while participating in research to protect the Earth's biodiversity. By doing so, you are contributing to the efforts to conserve some of the most beautiful birds on earth - HUMMINGBIRDS.

Data will be collected continuously (especially during the period of April through November, when relatively many hummingbird species are active in the area).

This is a scientific study done at the University of Arizona. For the data to be useful and valuable it is crucial that you follow the project's procedures. This will equalize the methods used across the different yards and will enable valuable statistical comparisons.

Should you have any comments, questions or problems, please email Alona at alona@email.arizona.edu.

We thank you for participating in this project and hope you enjoy it.

 

Procedures:

  1. Sign up for the project. The information you supply will be used to contact you, as well as for analysis of the factors affecting hummingbird distribution.
  2. Choose how many hummingbird feeders you have, or will add to your yard (0 feeders is also an option). Hang the feeders so they are at least 6 feet apart. Hang them high enough so cats can't attack the hummingbirds. Make sure you can watch all the feeders at once, so you can collect the data accurately and conveniently. Fill the feeders and maintain them according to the feeder instructions.
  3. Learn to identify hummingbird species that are common in or around Tucson. For the purposes of this study, it is crucial that you identify the males. Collecting data on females and juveniles is optional.
    Soon after you register for the project, we will send you the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's hummingbird-identification pocket-guide. An excellent way to learn to identify hummingbirds is spending time watching them in the hummingbird aviary at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where you can use your guide and then verify your identification with the posted signs and staff at the aviary. Once you begin collecting data on the hummers in your yard, we will contact you and if needed, send someone to assist you in learning to ID the birds.
  4. Now you are ready to start collecting information about the hummingbirds in your yard. Decide whether you will be collecting only abundance data, or data on abundance & behavior. Accordingly, download the data collection sheets.
    Choose one morning a week to relax and observe hummingbirds in your yard, while filling out the data sheets. Observe the hummers for half an hour, anytime between sunrise and 9:00 AM. These are hours of high hummingbird activity.
    If you currently don't have any feeders in your yard and intend to add them, start monitoring hummingbirds and collecting the data 3 weeks prior to hanging the feeders. Please make a note of that in the comments of the data sheets.
  5. Finally, Report your findings through this web site.

After you join the project, data should be collected once a week continuously, at least through November. However, if you have to miss a week for some reason, please write it under the comments in the data sheets.
Make sure you check this web site for updates throughout the season. Thank you.

Enjoy, Learn, Make a difference!

 

Special thanks to:

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

University of Arizona
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Silliman Memorial Research Fund

 

We appreciate your comments. Please email Alona Bachi: alona@email.arizona.edu