Hummingbird Banding
At The Ice Caves

By Joan E. Day-Martin

Few birds have been as little studied and misunderstood as hummingbirds. New Mexico is host to many species during the breeding season. Our state also contains multiple migration routes which are used by these tiny jewels. Very few states are able to claim the diversity in hummingbird species as New Mexico. Joan is one of only about 60 in the world to possess a permit issued by the Federal Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service authorizing her to capture and band hummingbirds. Traveling through out the state since 1994 Joan has bandedover 7000 hummingbirds, documented the furthest northern record of White-eared hummingbirds in NM, recaptured a Rufous that had been banded on Vancouver Island and added new species to the New Mexico Bird List. Joan has also participated in the "Migratory Pollinator Program" collecting pollen samples for study by the Sonora-Desert Museum in Tucson. When Joan isn't busy with banding she gives countless lectures and slide presentations to various groups, schools and communities, sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with many.

                           

Joan banding a bird                                                   Close up banding


                           

Tiny numbered bands                                                       Measuring a bird


                           

Weighing a bird in grams                                                       Recording data


                           

Feeding after banding                                                Releasing the bird


                           

Listening to the heartbeat                                           Children watched intently



Click here to see the July 2001 data.

Click here to see the July 2002 data.

Click here to see the July 2003 data.

For more information on bird banding, check out this link:
USGS Bird Banding Lab