New York, NY, August 20, 2009 - Thousands of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have begun their fall migration from as far north as Canada toward their winter home in Mexico and Central America. Moving south of Memphis, they stop to refuel at the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, near Holly Springs, Mississippi. Last year 8,000 human visitors to the Center got to see these tiny titans before they continued their daunting journey, which includes a 500-mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico.

Renowned expert Bob Sargent and his team, the Hummer/Bird Study Group, will again be hosting bird-banding demonstrations. Bird banding helps unravel the mysteries of migration. If you think hummingbirds are small, you should see the delicate band that goes around their leg. The tiny numbered leg bands enable scientists to determine how far south the birds go for winter, where they stop during their travels, how long they live, and whether they come back to the same sites year after year. (Many do.) At the 2008 festival, over 280 hummingbirds were banded and a bird was recaptured that had been tagged in 2006.

"Hummingbirds are amazing ambassadors for nature and conservation," said Walter Hubbard, director of Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. "Seeing these tiny birds up close inspires us to appreciate the amazing diversity of life on planet earth. Their flight over the Gulf of Mexico would compare somewhat to each of us running a marathon with no stops. How many of us would make it?"

Hummers are not only beautiful and inspiring for their migratory achievement, they play a vital ecological role as pollinators. Visitors to the festival will learn how to attract them to their own backyards and gardens through special plantings and other techniques.

While the hummingbirds visit the Audubon Strawberry Plains Center throughout September, the weekend Migration Celebration, from September 11-13, is a prime opportunity to experience its 2,600 acres of magnificent forests, grasslands and native plant gardens. The Center, at 285 Plains Road, in Holly Springs, MS, was described as an "outdoor lover's paradise" by The Tupelo Daily Journal. From the enclosed porch of historic Davis House, visitors watch the hummingbirds swarm like bees in the garden outside. A full schedule of nature walks and workshops and other special events, along with opportunities to shop for gifts, arts and crafts, hummingbird feeders, and bird-friendly plants makes the festival a rewarding destination for everyone in the family. 

This year's Hummingbird festival features a number of new speakers, including Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants and Miyoko Chu, whose new book, Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds, explores the amazing migratory habits of songbirds. Popular returning programs will include the live bat encounter with Rob Mies, guided nature walks, wagon rides, and tours of historic Davis House. 

Kristin Lamberson, the Interpretive Gardens Specialist at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, will be answering questions about what kind of plants appeal to birds, how to place your feeders for maximum benefits, and why indigenous plants are easier to maintain.

Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children under 12; admission for 12-passenger vans and buses is $7 per person. All parking is free. 

For more information on the Tenth Annual Hummingbird Migration Celebration events, please visit http://strawberryplains.audubon.org or call 662-252-1155.


Photos for media use:
http://audubon.org/news/pressroom/Hummingbirds/

HUMMINGBIRD FACTs  

Hummingbirds are the smallest of all birds, measuring between 2-8 inches. 

A newborn hummingbird is about the size of a honeybee, their egg, the size of a pea. 

There are about 340 species of hummingbirds in the world, all in the western hemisphere. 

Only the Ruby-throated Hummingbird breeds east of the Mississippi River. 

This tiny flyer manages to fly non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico – 500+ miles. 

The Ruby-throat beats its wings 40-80 times a second, and maintains an average flight speed of 30 mph. Escape speeds can reach 50 mph. 

While nearly all Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly south of Mississippi for the winter, 10 other species can been seen in the region during winter. Leave at least one feeder out. 

Hummingbirds are the only species of birds that can truly fly backwards. 

Igor Sikorsky considered the exceptional hovering ability of hummingbirds when developing his pioneering designs for helicopters. 

Hovering is the most expensive form of flight because of the energy consumed. A hummingbird has the highest measured rate of aerobic metabolism of any living thing. 

Birds of all sizes have a better respiratory system than people, because oxygen runs through their entire system of auxiliary air sacs and can enter and exit even by their toes. 

Hummingbird body temperature ranges from 105°- 108°F 

A hummingbird lives a relatively short life of great intensity (9 years,) while large creatures that move slowly (elephants, whales) live longer (60 years for wild elephant.) 

Eighty percent (80%) of all birds, including hummers, will not live to see their first birthday.


See video of hummingbirds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYGKNRJ2xAk

How you can help hummingbirds: http://strawberryplains.audubon.org/birds-science-education/audubon-at-home/audubon-at-home

Hummingbird article in Audubon Magazine: http://audubonmagazine.org/features0410/heartbeat.html