Trans-Pecos Backyard Hummingbird Survey 2008
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EXAS STATE C ENT TXD P 400.8 T717TR 2008 Areasures of the Trans-Pecos Backyard Hummingbird Survey 2008 Sponsored by the Wildlife Diversity Branch -Wildlife Division -Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Participant Information Welcome to the 2008 Trans-Pecos Please print or type Hummingbird Survey! Name: There are still entire counties west of the Pecos River from which we do not receive hummingbird reports! The Hummingbird Workshops that we have held in West Texas Address: and continue to hold in West Texas have helped to make people aware of the survey, but there is still a lot of work to do. You can help! Share your experiences from the Roundup City: with your friends and family - the enthusiasm is contagious, and your excitement gets others involved. West Texas had some great reports of hummingbird diversity in 2006, and we are State: looking forward to more! So pull up a chair, fill your hummingbird feeders and let's watch some hummingbirds. If you do see one of the seven rare species from the state, please Zip: remember to photograph the bird and send us a written record of what you saw. The form on the insert is intended to make this easier. Good luck and happy birding. County: Observation Tips Telephone: ( ) Even though it would be great to sit by your feeder each day and watch the birds - you * How long have you been feeding don't have to do that. We do recommend that you set aside a certain amount of time during hummingbirds at this location? convenient intervals (about two hours per week) to observe and then record the highest number of each species and gender observed. Note: Morning coffee and the evening meal _ number of years are good times to watch because the birds are actively feeding at these hours. If you fall short one week, record what you saw and continue on. * Is your residence in a rural or If you think you will have several species over the year, there are a couple of sheets urban area? (check one) you will want to duplicate. See back page for yearly reporting form and page IA, unusual sighting report. Extra copies of these sheets will assure that you have enough for report- * Is your residence on ing all of your finds. less than 1/2 acre 1__/2- 1 acre _ more ( number of acres) optional PUBLICATIONS ON HUMMINGBIRDS Williamson, Sheri L. 2001. Peterson Field Holmgren, Virginia C. 1986. The Way of Guide: The Hummingbirds of North the Hummingbird. Santa Barbara, CA: America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Capra Press. Completed survey forms should be HUMMINGBIRD BOOKLET Johnsgard, P.A. 1983. Hummingbirds of mailed by January 19, 2009, to: Bird Watchers North America. Washington, DC: Digest, Box 110, Marietta, Hummingbird Roundup OH 45750. Reprint. Enjoying Smithsonian Institution Press. Wildlife Diversity Branch Hummingbirds More. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Shackelford, C.E.; M.M. Lindsay, and C.M. Klym. 2005. Hummingbirds of Texas. 4200 Smith School Road BIRD GUIDES College Station, Texas: TAMU Press. Austin, Texas 78744 Peterson, Roger Tory. 1980.'A Field Guide Stokes, D. and L. Stokes. 1989. The to the Birds East of the Rockies. Participants who mail in the completed survey Hummingbird Book: The Complete Boston: Houghton Mifflin. will receive a hummingbird newsletter that will Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Peterson, Roger Tory. 1991. A Field Guide to summarize the results of the year's survey. Enjoying Hummingbirds. Boston: Little, Western Birds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Brown and Company. Scott, Shirley L., ed. 1983. Field Guide to (This survey form is printed on recycled paper.) Tyrrell, Esther Q., and Robert A. Tyrrell. the Birds of North America. Washington, 1985. Hummingbirds. New York: Crown. DC: National Geographic Society. (Please circle or check all that apply) Please check habitat descriptions that suit 1) When was the first hummingbird seen in your yard this year? (month/day) / your home and provide elevation information, 2) What species did you first observe this year? if known: (please use abbreviations listed above) __streamside 3) Was it 1 = male 2 = female 3 = immature 4 = unknown? __mountain __forest 4) What species do you see most often? desert 5) Did you observe a hummingbird in torpor this year? Yes No brushland Date Time Outside temp Cloud cover Precip __urban landscaped for hummingbirds __urban not landscaped Hummingbird Feeders for hummingbirds 6) Do you maintain a year-round feeder? Yes No Approx. elevation above sea level 7) If no, then when did you have feeders up? (month/day - month/day) / - / 8) How many feeders do you maintain on a regular basis and during migration Use these abbreviations for species identification: 9) How often do you change and clean your feeder? 2-3 days 4-6 days 6-8 days RTHU = Ruby-throated BCHU = Black-chinned Hummingbird Fuel RUHU = Rufous BUFH = Buff-bellied 10) If you make your own hummingbird food, what recipe have you been using? part(s) water to LUHU = Lucifer part(s) sugar BLUH = Blue-throated 11) Do you use red coloring in your mix? Yes No MAHU= Magnificent - HARY No . BTLH = Broad-tailed 12) Do you buy your nectar solution? Yes No BEHU = Berylline If yes, what brand(s) do you purchase? ANHIU= Anna's CAHU = Calliope GRMA = Green-breasted Mango Nesting BBLH = Broad-billed 13) Did you see a hummingbird nest in your yard this year? Yes No WEHU= White-eared If yes, a) where was the nest located? tree shrub other (plant species ) VCHU =Violet-crowned b) how far above the ground was the nest built? 0-5 feet 6-10 feet 11-15 feet COHU = Costa's c) did you see any eggs? Yes (1 or 2) No ALHU = Allen's d) did you see any fledglings? Yes (1 or 2) No GRVE = Green Violet-ear e) was the same nest used in a second nesting attempt? Yes No R/A = Rufous/Allen's type 14) Did you observe any hummingbirds in mating flight? Yes No Time of year: Spring (Mar-April) Summer (May-Aug) Fall (Sept-Dec) MISSION STATEMENT The Texas Hummingbird Roundup is a scientific study Hummingbird Gardens through which the Texas Parks yard contains native Texas plants? 0-20% 21-40% 41-60% 61-80% 81-100% and Wildlife Department gath 15) What percentage of your ers information about humming 16) Do you have mature trees in your yard? Yes No birds from the public while disseminating information on Percent cover: 0-20% 21-40% 41-60% 61-80% 81+% their needs. The survey encour to attract hummingbirds to your residence, did you plant in a container garden or ages Texans to maintain natural 17) If you planted flowers habitat for the birds, properly a yard? container garden yard care for hummingbird feeders Annuals Perennials Biennials and record sightings. Your 18) What types of plants did you use? answers will be used to further (circle all that apply) Vines Shrubs Trees our knowledge of the humming birds of Texas andl will help the 19) a) Did you plant the seed packet sent to you? Yes No Wildlife Diversity Branch in its b) Was it successful? Yes No mission to help keel) our tiny visitors returning each year. 20) How is water provided for birds in your yard? none bird bath fountain sprinkler mister other Survey continues on next to last page Texas Hummingbird Diversity Common Texas Hummingbirds and Unusual Sightings Buff-bellied Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird Texans, more than most Americans, have greater opportunities to view Blue-throated Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird many different hummingbird species. Because of our state's size and Magnificent Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird diverse ecology which includes coastal, desert, mountain, tropical, forest Lucifer Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird and grassland areas, 18 different hummingbird species have been Ruby-throated Hummingbird Allen's Hummingbird reported. Eleven species occur commonly in Texas. If you live in east to Black-chinned Hummingbird north Texas, you will have at least one (maybe two) species during the migratory year. If you happen to reside in West Texas, around the Lower Ifyou see these species outside their usual habitat, a careful Rio Grande Valley or on the Gulf Coast, you are likely to see three or note or completion of the form below would be appreciated. more species routinely. You may even have overwintering birds. Our publi cation, "A Quick Reference Guide to Texas Hummingbirds" will help you determine what species you are likely to see in your area. Unusual Texas Sightings In order for the Wildlife Diversity Program to verify sightings of a rare These birds must be accompanied by a Rare Bird Sighting bird, call (800) 792-1112, ext. 4644. An attached photo will be neces report and photo. sary. Fill out the form below and send it right away. Your description will help biologists determine identification. We will send you a new form. The While these birds are recorded in Texas, their occurrence is Roundup has a new group of volunteers who will be called upon to help rare. Any sightings of these birds should be accompanied by participants identify and document rare birds when necessary. a phone call to (800) 792-1112, ext. 4644 and photographs. Bird Identification Tips Green Violet-ear Hummingbird Violet-crowned Hummingbird Green-breasted Mango Costa's Hummingbird It is very simple to tell the difference between most adult male and female Broad-billed Hummingbird Berylline Hummingbird hummingbirds. The majority of males have a solid colored tail and the majority of females and immature males have white tips on their tail White-eared Hummingbird feathers. But, there are a few exceptions to this rule.