The fourth annual Hummingbird Festival brought visitors to Jeffers Bend Environmental Center Saturday morning for a close-up look at one of nature’s smallest and most fascinating travelers. The free event featured live hummingbird banding, educational activities, information about hummingbird-friendly plants and habitat, vendors and activities for families.
A highlight of the festival was the live banding conducted by licensed bird bander Cindy Routledge. Hummingbirds were carefully captured, measured and weighed before receiving small identification bands and being released. The information collected through banding helps researchers learn more about the birds’ movements, migration, survival and longevity. The festival is held during the late-summer migration period, when hummingbirds are preparing for their southward journey.
Bird banding in the United States is a federally regulated activity. Only individuals who are properly authorized by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory may capture, band, mark, or otherwise handle wild birds for banding purposes. This regulation helps ensure that bird-banding activities are conducted safely and responsibly, while also maintaining the scientific integrity of the data collected. Unauthorized banding or handling of birds can violate federal law, so members of the public should never attempt to band a bird themselves.
