Rufous Hummingbird
The Rufous hummingbird is among the smallest of hummingbird species weighing between 3.2 and 4.5 grams.
A rufous hummingbird will migrate from their winter habitats in Western Mexico and follow the Pacific flyway north into California, arriving in Alaksa by May for breeding. By July, Rufous hummingbirds begin their migration back south by following the mountains and taking advantage of late blooming alpine flowers.
With this large migration pattern and their tiny bodies, rufous hummingbirds present many challenges for scientists to research.


Hummingbird approaching a trap at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

A crowd watches Todd band hummingbirds at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

Hummingbird banding.
To gain more insights into hummingbird migration, habitat and food sources, bird banders place tiny bands on the birds. Placing a uniquely numbered band on a bird and then releasing it allows scientists across the country to gather important information such as migration patterns, mortality rates, and population status.
Each year a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) partners with AWCC to catch and band the hummingbirds that visit AWCC to further research, conservational efforts, and gaps in knowledge about Rufous hummingbirds.
Through hummingbird banding it has been discovered that only about 60% of hummingbirds will survive the annual migration. Additionally, it has shown that rufous hummingbird populations have decreased 60% since 1974.

- To read more about the banding of Rufous hummingbirds and the impact it has on conservation research, visit the U.S Fish and Wildlife website here.
- For an overview and more information on the Rufous Hummingbird, explore the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service website here.
The video above features a crowd watching Todd band and release a hummingbird at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
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