THE NORTH AMERICAN BANDERS' MANUAL FOR BANDING HUMMINGBIRDS Stephen M. Russell and Ruth O. Russell 2850 N. Camino de Oeste Tucson, Arizona 85745 A product of the NORTH AMERICAN BANDING COUNCIL PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE APRIL 2001 THE NORTH AMERICAN BANDERS' MANUAL FOR BANDING HUMMINGBIRDS Copyright© 2001 by Stephen M. Russell, Ruth O. Russell, and The North American Banding Council P.O. Box 1346 Point Reyes Station, California 94956-1346 U.S.A. http://nabanding.net/nabanding/ All rights reserved. Reproduction for educational purposes permitted. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ..........................................1 7.1.3. Edge preparation ....................11 Acknowledgments .................................1 7.1.4. Cutting individual bands from strips .....11 7.1.5. Shaping bands ......................12 1. Introduction ....................................1 7.1.6. Storing prepared bands ................13 2. Criteria for Becoming a Hummingbird Bander .........1 7.2. Species’ Identification .....................13 2.1. Attributes and Expectations ..................1 7.2.1. Correct identification .................13 2.2. The Bander's Code of Ethics .................2 7.2.2. Sources of information ................13 3. Permits .......................................3 7.3. Banding a Hummingbird ...................14 3.1. Federal ..................................3 7.3.1. The banding locale ...................14 3.2. State and Provincial ........................3 7.3.2. Restraining the bird ..................14 3.3. NABC Certification ........................3 7.3.3. Applying the band ...................14 4. Capture Methods ................................3 7.3.4. Verifying band size ..................15 4.1. Portable Drop-door Trap ....................3 7.3.5. Removing a band ....................15 4.1.1. Design .............................3 7.4. Color Marking ...........................15 4.1.2. Use ................................3 7.5. Data Collection ...........................15 4.1.3. Concerns, cautions ....................4 7.5.1. Measurements ......................15 4.2. Hall Open-sided, Collapsible Netting Trap ......4 7.5.2. Other characters .....................16 4.3. Sargent Collapsible Cage-wire Trap ...........4 7.5.3. External parasites ....................17 4.4. Russell Net Trap ...........................4 7.6. Documentation of Rarities ..................17 4.4.1. Design .............................4 7.6.1. Details to document ..................18 4.4.2. Use ................................4 7.6.2. Photography ........................18 4.4.3. Concerns, cautions. ...................4 7.6.3. Video .............................18 4.5. Modified Russell Trap ......................5 8. Data Management ..............................19 4.5.1. Design .............................5 8.1. Recording Data; Coding Forms ..............19 4.5.2. Use ................................5 8.2. Reporting Data ...........................19 4.5.3. Concerns, cautions ....................5 8.2.1. Banding schedules ...................19 4.6. Mist Nets ................................5 8.2.2. Electronic submission to BBL or BBO ...19 4.6.1. Design .............................5 9. Hummingbird Feeders ...........................19 4.6.2. Use ................................5 9.1. Features ................................19 4.6.3. Concerns, cautions ....................6 9.2. Placement ...............................19 5. Handling of Hummingbirds .......................6 9.3. Sugar Water .............................19 5.1. Removing Hummingbirds from Nets ...........6 9.4. Maintenance .............................22 5.2. Holding ..................................6 10. Public Relations, Education .....................22 5.2.1. Finger-tip Hold .......................6 11. Literature Cited and Selected Bibliography .........22 5.2.2. The Bander's Grip ....................6 5.2.3. Other grips ..........................6 Appendix A. Designing a Research Project ............24 5.3. Transport from Trap to Banding Site ...........7 A.1. Developing a Hummingbird Research Project ..24 5.3.1. Holding bags ........................7 Appendix B. Banding Equipment, Sources, Suppliers ....26 5.4. Short-term Confinement in Cages .............7 Appendix C. Designs and Instructions for Building Traps, 5.4.1. Design .............................8 Net Traps, Holding Cages, Bags .................28 5.4.2. Use ................................8 C.1. A Portable Drop-door Trap .................28 5.4.3. Cautions, concerns ....................8 C.1.1. Materials list .......................28 5.5. Feeding Hummingbirds .....................8 C.1.2. Tools required ......................28 5.6. Releasing ................................8 C.1.3. Instructions ........................28 5.7. Birds Needing Special Care ..................8 C.2. Hall Open-sided, Collapsible Netting Trap .....29 6. Care and Safety .................................8 C.2.1. Materials list .......................29 6.1. Signs of Distress ...........................8 C.2.2. Tools required ......................29 6.1.1. Treatment ...........................9 C.2.3. Instructions ........................29 6.2. Injuries ..................................9 C.2.4. Instructions for using the trap ..........33 6.3. Death of a Bird ............................9 C.3. Sargent Collapsible Cage-wire Trap ..........33 6.4. Removal from Buildings ....................9 C.3.1. Materials list .......................33 6.5. Miscellaneous ............................10 C.3.2. Tools required ......................33 7. Processing ....................................10 C.3.3. Instructions ........................34 7.1. Bands ..................................10 C.4. Russell Net Trap .........................34 7.1.1. Ordering ...........................10 C.4.1. Materials list .......................34 7.1.2. Cutting sheets of bands into strips .......10 C.4.2. Tools needed .......................34 North American Banders' Manual for Hummingbirds i C.4.3. Instructions ........................34 G.1.1. Trainers ...........................39 C.5. Modified Russell Trap .....................34 G.1.2. Duration of training session ...........39 C.5.1. Materials and tools ..................34 G.1.3. Location of training site ..............39 C.5.2. Instructions ........................34 G.2. Who Should be Accepted and Requirements C.6. Bags, Holding ...........................35 Needed for Trainee ........................39 C.6.1. Materials ..........................35 G.3. Steps in How to Train .....................39 C.6.2. Directions for sewing net bags .........35 G.3.1. Observation of banding ...............39 C.7. Cages, Holding ..........................35 G.3.2. Holding birds; instructions for extracting Appendix D. Banding Associations, Meetings, Etc. ......36 birds from traps and nets ................39 Appendix E. Long-term Care and Rehabilitation of G.3.3. Background information ..............39 Hummingbirds ...............................36 G.3.4. Initial tasks ........................39 E.1. Injured Birds ............................36 G.3.5. Assess trainee’s capabilities ...........39 E.2. Long-term Care ..........................36 G.3.6. Trainer’s judgement .................39 Appendix F. Skills and Knowledge Expected of G.3.7. Written test and evaluation ............39 Hummingbird Banders .........................37 Appendix H. A Key to Western Hummingbirds .........40 Appendix G. An Instructor's Guide to Training Hummingbird H.1. A Key to Female and Hatching-year Western Banders .....................................39 Hummingbirds ............................40 G.1. Training and Conditions Needed for Training Appendix I. The North American Banding Council ......45 Sessions .................................39 ii North American Banders' Manual for Hummingbirds PREFACE including banding, large gaps exist in our knowledge that could be filled with additional information from well-designed banding The purpose of this Bander’s Manual for Hummingbirds is programs. These studies could lay the foundation necessary to to provide basic information to safely and productively band establish conservation and management strategies for various these small birds. species. However, the banding of hummingbirds is not research This publication is an integral part of several other publica- per se. Banders do not make a bona fide research contribution tions by the North American Banding Council (NABC), if they band birds only to contribute to the existing database on including The North American Banders' Study Guide, The banding and recovery. We strongly encourage all banders to Instructor's Guide to Training Passerine Bird Banders in North consider the usefulness of the information they gather, empha- America, and taxon-specific manuals (e.g., landbirds, raptors, sizing the ultimate use of the data rather than its collection. shorebirds, waterfowl, seabirds). We trust that this guide will be Neither the Canadian nor the U. S. Banding Offices employs useful for all banders of hummingbirds. biologists who analyze hummingbird data. —Publications Committee of the Responsible banders ensure that their study design and the North American Banding Council collection and analysis of data are sound, and that they publish C. John Ralph, Chair their results. The Banding Offices review all applications for permits. If an application is denied because it lacks scientific or educational merit, this decision should be respected. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS