Georgia Hummers

03/10/2025

Do you feed wild birds with a bird feeder? Scientists at the University of Georgia are conducting a research study to learn more about people’s bird feeding behaviors and how they help protect wild bird health. We invite you to take a short 10–15 minute survey. Your responses will help scientists better understand how we can support healthy bird populations.

To fill out the survey, use this link:
http://bit.ly/43uopoL

Thank you for your time and for helping us keep our feathered friends safe and healthy. Please feel free to share this survey with others and repost the flyer!

We are interested in understanding people’s bird feeding behaviors, opinions on wild bird health, and what actions people take to protect the health of birds that visit their bird feeders. The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

12/06/2024

If you are hosting a winter hummingbird in Georgia and are interested in having it banded, please contact Kyle Shepard with BCA. He will be banding here Sunday! You can also contact Rusty Trump at [email protected]

Thanks, 😊

07/16/2024

Our friends at Banding Coalition of the Americas are doing amazing science! We encourage you to follow them if you havent yet done so.

09/10/2023

This is a call to all birders and hummingbird ba**ers. I'm starting a new paper describing aberrant plumage in hummingbirds in the contiguous US and Canada with a few colleagues and I'd like your help.

For birders/photographers: if you would like to contribute your encounters to this paper it would be greatly appreciated. Specifically I am looking for your photos of hummers with apparent aberrant plumage, the location where you observed it, and a positive ID if you have it. If you are unfamiliar with the term "aberrant plumage" most people refer to these birds as being albino, piebald, and/or leucistic. If you have knowledge of the bird being banded please note it in the email in an effort to not duplicate records.

For licensed ba**ers: I'm looking for Band number, Species, Age, S*x, Location, Date and photos of the individual. You will be listed in the acknowledgments. If you are on humband, you may have already seen my inquiry.

In the interest of keeping data organized, one email per record is ideal. Any records you have can be emailed to me directly at [email protected]. Thanks for your consideration and contribution to citizen science.

Kyle Shepard

Photo by Fred Bassett

*All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey's BBL.*

11/18/2021

Emma Rhodes will be doing most of the winter hummingbird banding in the Atlanta area/North Georgia going forward, and Fred Dietrich will handle South Georgia. Please contact them if you have any hummers between November 1st and March 1st. Make sure to follow the BCA page, too! They are doing some great work.

09/09/2021

06/05/2021

We are in the breeding season for Ruby-throats, so it’s pretty quiet at feeders now, but that will change in late July/early August.

Today, we were filmed for an upcoming Hummingbird episode for Georgia Outdoors to air in October. Stay tuned!

12/29/2020

Very cool recapture!

Exciting news was received on 12/28/20 when veteran ba**er and colleague Fred Bassett emailed me to report he had captured a hatch-year Allen's Hummingbird wearing one of my bands! Turns out I banded this hummingbird at the home of Mary Goodenough in Fayetteville, TN on December 8, 2020, and he re-e...