Monitoring and Research
Hummingbird Monitoring & Research
We have been actively involved in monitoring local hummingbird populations since 1997. From our start on Southern Vancouver lsland, monitoring efforts have expanded to include sites in south and central BC, as well as southern Alberta. Most work is in BC, as this is the province where the bulk of our Rufous, Calliope and Black-chinned Hummingbirds breed. Over the years, we have learned much about their timing, movements, habitat choice, site fidelity, breeding habits and longevity. In the map of BC, you can see that the locations chosen for monitoring represent major north-south migration routes.
In recent years, our research efforts have expanded to include questions around "What habitat resources are used" and "How habitat influences distribution and access to resources". We have used waste analysis (shared freely by the birds) to achieve some significant ‘firsts’. Our non-invasive analysis of nestling diet was the first time DNA in hummingbird faecal material was used to see what female hummingbirds were providing to their chicks. Our collaboration with Environment Canada was the first time that the urine from cloacal fluid (hummingbird urine and faeces come together and are called cloacal fluid) had been used to show environmental exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides and to butenolides. Click here to see a short video explaining our early pesticide exposure work.
To follow our latest research efforts, please check our publications page.
