HUMMINGBIRD BANDING

On Monday I volunteered at the Camera Club as a Monitor, so Bob headed up to Madera Canyon where he had heard they were banding Hummingbirds. He lucked out and he even got to hold one of the Hummingbirds after it was banded (sorry, no picture of him holding it).

The Hummingbirds are caught in these nets.

Then they are weighted, measured, and banded. Bob says the band they put around their tiny little legs look like tiny pieces of aluminum foil.

This lady held the Hummingbird after it was banded until it decided to fly away.

They are amazing little creatures that weigh about 4 + grams. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1260 beats per minute, and they flap their wings 12 to 90 times per second. They are the only bird that can fly backwards.

The banding is over for this year, but you can bet Bob (and probably me) will be right there next year when they begin banding in April.