Target: Hummingbirds primarily as non-food pollinators.- Importance to Food & Agr: Hummingbirds generally pollinate non-food plants, but are so fascinating, noticeable, and vulnerable that they are useful as indicators of healthy foodsheds as a whole.
- Issues: Habitat loss and destruction threaten many species of hummingbirds, both here and in countries that they migrate to. Climate change is causing earlier blooming of flowers and may result in hummingbirds arriving at the wrong time for pollination.
- Observing Options: Arrival, departure, numbers, and flowers that they feed upon. Sugar water feeders are popular, but in some areas such as here in Durango, they may attract bears creating human-bear conflicts which can result in bears being euthanized. Native flowering plants are a good alternative.
- Citizen Science: eBird can be used to submit sightings of hummingbirds and all other bird species.
- Getting Started Tip: Get to know which hummers are common in your area to narrow things down. In our Four Corners area, learning the wing sound of the Broad-tailed Hummingbird helps a lot.
- Additional Resources: See the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, the Hummingbird Learning Center, and Audubon’s website above for background on hummers as well as hummer-friendly native plants.
Healthy Community Food Systems
Healthy Land, Healthy Food, Healthy People
Being Proactive—as a Community—About Climate Change in our Local Food Systems and Foodsheds
Fickle Monsoons, Summer in March, and Hot Summer Nights: Climate change is here, has been seriously affecting local agriculture, and will certainly get worse. It will take some serious effort to adjust our local food production and local food systems to the extent needed, so why not ramp up efforts now to adapt and help […]