I don't often post about my summer hummingbird banding, as I visit each of about 15 or more private residences three times from mid-June to early September. There are occasionally some highlights of movements or returns that I report in my annual hummingbird banding report, but this week an adult female Ruby-throated Hummingbird was recaptured that ties the longevity record of the species.
In July, at the residence of Jim and Nancy Summers in St. Joseph County, Michigan, our team of banders and banding assistants banded a total of 161 "new" Ruby-throats and recaptured an additional 68 returning from previous years. Among them was a female that was banded at this site in July 2014, as an adult (after hatch-year). Using the standard method that the Bird Banding Lab uses for calculating age, it is assumed she hatched in June 2013 or earlier. That made her at least 9 years 1 month old, which was one month short of tying the record.
Then, on August 3, among 63 more "new" banded and 96 recaptures, we recaptured her again, making her now at least 9 years 2 months old. She is in the photo below.
Here, bander Brenda Keith shows our elderly hummingbird to proud "father" Jim Summers.
And here, Jim and Nancy say bon voyage to our record-tying hummingbird as we release her, and hope for a record-breaking recapture next year!
