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Hummingbirds

Learn More about Hummingbirds at GRouse Mountain & our research Projects

HummingBird Species at Grouse Mountain

Hummingbirds are a fascinating and thrilling species for observers to watch. They inspire us and connect us with nature and also play an important role in eco-systems as vital pollinators. Here on Grouse Mountain, we are home to two species of hummingbirds – The Rufous Hummingbird and Anna’s Hummingbird. They are seen all over the mountaintop from May to September feeding on insects, as well as the nectar from sub-alpine blooms.

HUMMINGBIRD MONITORING PROJECT

In 2005, Grouse Mountain started our Hummingbird Monitoring Project in association with Hummingbird Monitoring Network of North America – a project designed to establish a long term observation of hummingbird Migration routes and population levels in Western North America. The network hosts up to 30 different locations from Mexico to Alaska. Over the years, we have banded and monitored close to 1,000 individual hummingbirds. We have had several long distance re-captures as well from birds banded in other parts of the province and contributed unique data to the overall network project as one of only a couple mountain top elevation monitoring sites. One bird was even re-caught seven years after she was banded and was still in excellent health!

Data Collection

In addition to the population monitoring, the Grouse Mountain site has helped out with pesticides in pollinators research and shown that the birds feeding at elevation here on the mountain are free from pesticides that plague birds at lower elevations around farmland. This is a new field of research and Grouse Mountain is happy to be playing an important role in data collection.

Unfortunately the data across the network is showing a decline in hummingbird populations – especially for the Rufous Hummingbird which migrates over a thousand miles and is facing tremendous pressure from habitat loss and degradation through activities such as agriculture, urbanization and climate change. This emerging trend needs further research and makes monitoring sites, such as the one here at Grouse Mountain, critical for ongoing data collection. We hope we can encourage visitors to learn about these unique and incredible birds and teach others about the joy they bring and the important ecological role they play.