It came to my attention recently that many of my friends thought I caught hummingbirds with a butterfly net, or by just grabbing them out of the air. While I was flattered that they thought I possessed such lightning-fast super heroine reflexes, that is not in fact how it works! While it is possible to catch hummingbirds using traditional mist-net techniques as with other birds (though an extra-fine mesh size is required), this can be tricky with hummingbirds given their small size and near constant need for calories. The best way to capture hummingbirds for mark-recapture studies is to use a Feeder-Hall Trap. These have been around for a while, and can be ordered by permitted individuals (don't try this if you aren't a professional!) from the Hummingbird Monitoring Network. The trap is essentially a curtain that you lower slowly around a hummingbird feeder while a bird is busily drinking nectar (See top photo). The bands we use for hummingbirds are shockingly tiny, and specialized equipment is needed to carefully attach them (See lower photo). |
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