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Estimating hummingbird populations? (1 Viewer)

wizrd

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Been feeding ruby throats in central NY for years. I usually have 6 or 8 feeders going, spread out around my house, close to nearby stands of thickly planted spruce & pines, with lots of secondary forest growth and farmlands nearby. This year, I moved five feeders closer together, on the corners of an 8'x8' flower bed, hung on some shepherds hooks.
This newer, 'close proximity' thing has resulted in about 18 - 20 birds at the feeders at times, (as close as I can count them, anyways - it's difficult to get them to sit still). Question is -- with the constant comings and goings, if I can actually SEE 18 to 20 birds at one time, is it possible to judge how many are actually in the area? Is their a magic formula available to figure it out? Just wondering. Ruby throats here usually arrive about May 7th, - the last ones I saw were on Sept. 21 this year. Thanks for any input.
 
I’ve never heard of any way to estimate how many are around based on the number you see at the feeders. Maybe someone else here has heard of a way.
 
Been feeding ruby throats in central NY for years. I usually have 6 or 8 feeders going, spread out around my house, close to nearby stands of thickly planted spruce & pines, with lots of secondary forest growth and farmlands nearby. This year, I moved five feeders closer together, on the corners of an 8'x8' flower bed, hung on some shepherds hooks.
This newer, 'close proximity' thing has resulted in about 18 - 20 birds at the feeders at times, (as close as I can count them, anyways - it's difficult to get them to sit still). Question is -- with the constant comings and goings, if I can actually SEE 18 to 20 birds at one time, is it possible to judge how many are actually in the area? Is their a magic formula available to figure it out? Just wondering. Ruby throats here usually arrive about May 7th, - the last ones I saw were on Sept. 21 this year. Thanks for any input.

This is probably not an answer to your question. The late Bob Sergent of Alabama was pretty much an expert on hummers. I attended a few of his presentations and watched him band hummers. He always said, if you had a few at your feeders, you always had many more around. A little about him is in this link.

https://ourfinefeatheredfriends.wor...nd-legacy-of-decades-of-hummingbird-research/
 
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