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Tucson Audubon Society
Conservation: Hummingbird Project
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The
Tucson Hummingbird Project
By Alona Bachi, Ecologist and
Project Director, University of Arizona
The Tucson hummingbird project is a conservation effort and ecological study done at Dr. Michael Rosenzweig’s lab, at the University of Arizona. Its purpose is to monitor native hummingbird diversity in Tucson, while studying their community ecology.
Of about 330 known species of hummingbirds, 68 are on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species (www.iucnredlist.org). At least two of these are extinct and the rest are declining. Many are in trouble because of the degradation and loss of their natural habitats throughout the Americas. This is especially crucial when considering migrant hummingbirds, which rely heavily on high quality stopover habitats. In this case, urban areas may prove a valuable surrogate for degraded stopover habitats. Neotropical hummingbirds migrate through Arizona during spring and fall. Other species are permanent residents of the area.
Reconciliation ecology is a sustainable strategy to conserve native diversity by enabling the coexistence of humans and wildlife in human-dominated areas (see Dr. Rosenzweig’s 2003 book, at www.winwinecology.com). Conserving wildlife in our surroundings contributes not only to conservation, but also to our well-being, quality of life, and education.
Urbanization usually reduces native species density and diversity. But for some species, like hummingbirds, the opposite may be true. Due to the use of feeders, urban areas sometimes provide more resources than the natural habitats outside the city. This may explain the high occurrence of Anna’s Hummingbirds in Tucson. While densities of Anna’s Hummingbirds are high in Tucson, other native species, though found in the city, are not as common. Why? What can we do to change that?
Competition may alter the number of species in a habitat. We expect variation in food availability in the form of hummingbird plants and feeders to affect the number of species. In this project, we are applying our knowledge of species interactions among hummingbirds to increase their diversity. This is a model system for the reconciliation of hummingbirds in cities. It will serve to inform and contribute to conservation efforts even beyond the confines of the city.
About 11-15 hummingbird species breed in or migrate through Arizona. The Tucson Bird Count, started by Will Turner (www.tucsonbirds.org) reveals that only a few of these species are common in Tucson. These include mostly Anna’s and Black-chinned Hummingbirds and to a lesser extent Costa’s Hummingbird. A few more species are occasionally seen. In this project, we are studying the effect of various food enrichment levels and vegetation on abundance and behavior. Beyond conservation, the results will suggest how hummingbird communities are actually organized.
Comparisons of yards with different plants and various numbers of feeders will enable us to understand the competitive relationships among the hummingbirds. Besides abundance, project participants may collect data on hummingbird behavior. These data will let us infer territoriality, social ranking and community organization among the various species. In short, we will try to understand how community ecology is affecting hummingbird distribution.
Join the Tucson Hummingbird Project
If you are interested in increasing hummingbird diversity around your home and enjoy watching them, join us as a citizen scientist. All you have to do is log on to the project’s web site and follow these steps:
1. Sign up.
2. Choose how many feeders you will have (0 is a possibility if you have hummingbird-attracting plants).
3. Learn to identify local male hummingbirds.
4. Relax and watch hummingbirds in your yard for half an hour a week, while filling out the data sheet.
5. Report your findings.
After registering, you will receive a guide to the hummingbirds of the West, courtesy of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. You will also get discounts to buy feeders.
In addition, if you are confident in your ability to identify hummingbirds and you’re willing to help train fellow hummer-lovers, please email us. We are looking for “experts” to help train less experienced participants.
To learn more and sign up, visit the project’s web site at: hummingbirds.arizona.edu. For more information, contact me at alona@email.arizona.edu.
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This page was updated on 12/28/05