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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2014-10-29, Page 22 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, October 29, 2014 Ripley Horticultural Society Invites Speaker on Hummingbirds Cindy Cartwright Speaks on the Ontario Hummingbird Project Valerie Gillies Editor, Lucknow Sentinel Cindy Cartwright is Pro- ject Coordinator as well as a Hummingbird Bander, with Ontario Hummingbird Pro- ject. The Ontario Humming- bird Project was started in 2005 to learn about the life- cycle of Ontario humming- birds as no studies had been done here. A lot of the infor- mation that has been circu- lated by the "experts" has no research to ground it and a lot of myths have been per- petuated as being the reports of "experts" on humming- birds in North America with very little Canadian data to go on. One of the first myths that Cartwright debunked was the supposed migration routes. It was speculated that the hummingbirds were so tiny that it would make more sense for them to fly around the Great Lakes, rather than over them. This would mean that they were veering from migrating in a straight line as most birds do. However, if you draw a line from Bruce County to Mexico, the straight line does follow the coastline of the lakes at cer- tain points. The other factor of how long would it take for a hummingbird to fly across the lakes was also in ques- tion. The theory was that it would take too long, how- ever in 1939 a hummingbird was clocked flying beside a car at 55 miles per hour, which would mean that it would take only about 3 hours over the large body water for a migratory flight, easily accomplished by a small bird. A very important fact that has surfaced flies against the myth of when hummingbird feeders should be put up in the spring or taken down in the fall. From the banding research it has been discov- ered that hummingbirds arrive in early April and do not leave until there is freez- ing that depletes the food supply. Cartwright recom- mends having the feeders out during this entire time as it has been recorded that the same hummingbirds return Valerie Gillies/Lucknow Sentinel Cindy Cartwright of the Ontario Hummingbird Project was guest speaker at the Ripley Agricultural Society open meeting held at the Ripley Community Centre on October 15,2014. From left:Ann Finlayson, Cindy Cartright, Shirley Harris. to the exact same feeders for up to 9-10 years. It is possi- ble for up to 3 broods per season, but only with ideal weather conditions. The norm is 2 broods per nesting pair. The recapture of the same birds has revealed that the hummingbirds stay in their own territory. Maps are being created to plot where the banded birds are cap- tured and recaptured. Tradi- tional naturalist maps had a very limited area in Canada where hummingbirds were plotted. This is partly because hummingbirds are very easy to miss. They are both small and fast with a hum from their wings that is detectable only from a short distance and only from straight on. It is estimated that for every hummingbird you see, there are probably 7 more that you did not. The Canadian Wildlife Association is trying to get banders spread out across Canada. There have been reports of hummingbirds as far away as Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec to British Columbia almost to the Yukon border. Another myth is that the only hummingbirds in Can- ada are the ruby -throated. There have been 6 species documented in Ontario and Cartwright believes there would be more if there were more trained banders avail- able to identify those sighted. It is difficult to recruit banders in Ontario as it is an expensive process that is not funded. A bander must be trained by 2 certified banders and must capture and band 100 humming- birds to become certified. This is more likely to be achieved quickly in places where there is a denser pop- ulation, which is generally in the United States, making travel cost a factor. There are 3 forms of par- ticipation in hummingbird research. More banders need to be trained which requires funding, as well as funding for their research. Migration stations for other species and raptor research stations are watching for hummingbirds at their sta- tions. Members of the gen- eral public can report feeder activity including dates that birds were seen and report- ing any unusual humming- birds or unusual behavior. Ontario Hummingbird Project has also partnered with other organizations including the Ontario Nest Record Scheme, University of Guelph Barcode of Life, researchers in the US and Central America, Journey North and Ontario Bird Banding Association. Visit the website at www. ontariohummungbirds.ca for ways to help the Ontario Hummingbird Project, find interesting facts about the birds and what they need, to report hummingbird sight- ings, to join the project or to become a sponsor, donate equipment. It was empha- sized that they are looking for someone to do a website for a Canada project, possi- bly as a student under a grant. Cartwright asks that every- one spread the word about the Ontario Hummingbird Project to friends, family and acquaintances to invite them to visit the site and become involved. Their help with be greatly appreciated.