Insights on hummingbird travel, life span revealed

[n2doc]

By KEITH RIDLER



BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Hummingbirds are giving up some of their secrets.

The perfecting of placing tiny numbered bands on their legs in the last decade has led researchers to discover hummingbirds can live longer than 10 years as opposed to the two or three once thought likely.

And astonishing migrations have been found, with a Rufous hummingbird caught in Florida one winter showing up the following summer more than 3,500 miles away in southeast Alaska. Some birds have even been discovered wintering in areas where temperatures drop below zero degrees.

"We're learning a lot about hummingbirds through banding we never would have learned otherwise," said Bruce Peterjohn, chief of the bird banding laboratory for the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland.

more

http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Insights-on-hummingbird-travel-life-span-revealed-5881693.php

[TwilightGardener]

1. Cool. Mine are all gone now, had my last migrant at the feeder in mid-October.

[Faux pas]

2. Posted this on FB

for a friend of mine. The ones she gets at her house follow her around like pets. It's something to see. Thanks for posting this n2doc!

[n2doc]

3. Did you see this video?

http://twistedsifter.com/videos/elderly-man-befriends-hummingbird/

[Faux pas]

4. I have now thanks!

That bird is huge! The ones here in Oregon are thumb size. I'll have to send her this link too. Thanks again

[Triana]

6. Aww that's so sweet! n/t

[brewens]

5. It would be interesting to find out why such a small bird would adapt to making such a long

migration. There is always a reason or some advantage for a species in cases like that. Unless you think that Gawd just made if that way for no particular reason.

[adirondacker]

7. Very cool. I had two families of Ruby Throats that I fed this summer.

It started with two pairs, then it grew to a total of seven. I had to set out two separate feeders hidden from each other to calm some of the battles.