Banding Day in the Queen City

A Black-chinned Hummingbird Earns Her 15 Minutes of Fame

On February 19, 2004, NC hummingbird bander Susan Campbell visited the home of Audrey and Larry Mellichamp of Charlotte, NC. A few days previously, the Mellichamps had noticed a hummingbird visiting a camellia bush in their yard. Realizing that a winter hummingbird was quite unusual, they contacted the Mecklenburg Audubon Society who, in turn, contacted Susan.

Upon arriving at the Mellichamps, Susan set about the process of coaxing the hummingbird into a standard hummingbird trap. The basic working method of such traps is to place a feeder inside a cage, and when the hummingbird enters, close the cage door using a type of remote trigger. (Next)