Thursday, May 23, 2013

Hummingbird Update

J and I took the dead hummingbird to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.  We were told the bird since it was so well cared for in its immediate preservation that it will most likely be stuffed, they have a taxidermist on the refuge, and put on display as a learning aide.

It is illegal to possess any parts of a hummingbird or to capture them.  We did what we should have since they are a protected species.

First two photos are when the bird was still alive and I was trying to feed it.



These last three were of it after death.  Sorry if the images are a bit blurry as I didn't want to move the bird around much just the paper it was on.

If you find a dead hummingbird you can preserve it for a refuge by take a plain white sheet of typing paper and making a paper cone out of it.  Place the bird head down in the cone and put it in a freezer bag in the freezer.  Meanwhile write down all the information you can about the location of where the bird was found and the time and date too along with your contact information.  Hopefully you'll have on hand a archival quality ink pen, I do some scrapbooking so I do have just that type of pen,  to write down all that information so that it too can be preserved for future use with the bird in a learning aid.

I believe this was a female Anna or possibly a female Rufous hummingbird.  I know that another hummingbird, a male tried to attack it, oh heck it was pecking at the other bird so yes it was attacking.  The male was brilliant in color being mostly orange red with a scarlet red throat.  Link to what the attacking bird looked like.

Link to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.



6 comments:

  1. I'm glad they can take of it and use it to educate.

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  2. Wow that it amazing that it can be used as a display!

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  3. Aww.. I read the back story about the bird. That's very sad.

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  4. glad they can preserve the bird for another purpose. Well done.

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