billhiltonjr
Registered Member
For those of you who live, travel, and/or work in Mexico or any Central American country (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama), I am interested in knowing autumn arrival dates for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (RTHU), Archilochus colubris.
RTHUs breed in the U.S. and Canada and the vast majority of them depart in autumn to spend the winter months as far south as northern Panama. Adult males begin their southward movement as early as late July, but some birds--especially juveniles--may linger in the U.S. until mid-October. (A relative few RTHUs overwinter in the Gulf Cost states and--with increasing frequency--in Atlantic Coast and inland states.)
I would appreciate your letting me know of any "early autumn" sightings you have for RTHUs, including the date and location (GPS coordinates preferred).
If you are able to determine the age/sex of the bird, please include that information. For hints on ageing and sexing, see the Web site for "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project," specifically at http://www.rubythroat.org/RTHUExternalMain.html
I know some of you who are banders make incidental captures of RTHUs during mist netting operations and release the birds without banding, but you may have opportunity to examine the culmen and sixth primary for definitive ageing and sexing.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
With best wishes,
BILL
RTHUs breed in the U.S. and Canada and the vast majority of them depart in autumn to spend the winter months as far south as northern Panama. Adult males begin their southward movement as early as late July, but some birds--especially juveniles--may linger in the U.S. until mid-October. (A relative few RTHUs overwinter in the Gulf Cost states and--with increasing frequency--in Atlantic Coast and inland states.)
I would appreciate your letting me know of any "early autumn" sightings you have for RTHUs, including the date and location (GPS coordinates preferred).
If you are able to determine the age/sex of the bird, please include that information. For hints on ageing and sexing, see the Web site for "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project," specifically at http://www.rubythroat.org/RTHUExternalMain.html
I know some of you who are banders make incidental captures of RTHUs during mist netting operations and release the birds without banding, but you may have opportunity to examine the culmen and sixth primary for definitive ageing and sexing.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
With best wishes,
BILL
