Hummingbird program featured at Birdfest

May 04, 2008 10:10 pm

— By Debbie Robinson
news@joplinglobe.com
Conalee Churchwell, of Joplin, described the hummingbird she was holding Sunday morning as “cute” during an educational program about the native birds at the Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center in Wildcat Park.
“When I held it, it was buzzing,” said Conalee, 8.
Sarah Driver, a master bird bander, presented a nearly two-hour program on hummingbirds, including a demonstration of how the birds are banded.
There are only about 60 master hummingbird banders in the country, she said.
Driver said she lives south of Nixa on five acres where she has numerous hummingbird feeders and a feeder designed with a net to catch birds for banding. The mesh net can be dropped by pulling a cord once the hummingbird is at the feeder. Once the bird is caught, a tiny numbered band is fitted around its leg, she said.
The numbers and information about the bird are submitted to the national Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, Md. The information is used to track the migration habits of the birds, chart their reproductive success and assess their population.
Driver said one misconception people have is that the feeders should be taken down around Labor Day.
“Birds will stay until the second week of October,” she said, and some have been seen in November.
Another misconception about hummingbirds, she said, is the their longevity.
Previous information listed the life span of the birds at three to five years, Driver said, but they can live to the age of 9 or 12.
“I’ve had one return to my home for seven straight years,” she said.
In Missouri, ruby-throated hummingbirds, black-chin hummingbirds and Annas hummingbirds can be found, she said.
Typically, the birds are about 3 inches long and weigh about an eighth of an ounce, Driver said.
“It’s like holding a penny,” she said.
The ideal setting for attracting hummingbirds, Driver said, is an open area in the country with areas of water. If a pond isn’t available, a birdbath containing a spray also will attract hummingbirds, she said.
Most hummingbirds will begin their migration south to warmer climates in August to late September, she said.
Another misconception about the birds is that they ride on the backs of geese and travel in flocks, Driver said. Hummingbirds migrate individually and can fly about 35 mph, she said.
For Conalee and her brother, Carter, 6, and sister, Cydney, 11, the program was a good experience.
Carter said he liked holding the hummingbird.
“She was really light and really soft,” Cydney said.

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