SABO's Photo Gallery

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Each year, the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory's staff and volunteers trap and band hundreds of hummingbirds along the San Pedro River and in the nearby mountains. Some of these tiny travelers are just passing through, while others are local residents encountered many times over long life spans. Every encounter adds to our understanding of the challenges faced by North American hummingbirds and helps us document their dependence on southeastern Arizona's diverse habitats.

Now you can share the thrill of discovery with us and help support SABO's research and education programs by sponsoring a banded  hummingbird. Adopt a hummingbird for yourself or designate the adoption as a gift for a loved one, friend, colleague, school class, or office. Each bird has only one sponsor, so your adoption is truly unique!

With each adoption, you (or the recipient of your choice) will receive:

• a certificate, suitable for framing, with a color photo of the species, the adopted bird's band number and banding location, the adopter's name, and a name the adopter chooses for the bird (optional)

• a brief "biography" of the adopted hummingbird, with details about the individual bird's life as we understand it and the natural history of its species
• updates by e-mail or postcard if/when the adopted bird is re-encountered (not all species are equally likely to be reencountered; please see selection tips below)
• a one-year membership in the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, which includes discounts on field trips, a subscription to SABO's electronic newsletter, and access to members-only Web content.

Higher level adoptions ($50, $75, and $100) also include an invitation to visit SABO's banding station in the Huachuca Mountains, where we band a greater diversity of hummingbird species, including southwestern "specialties" such as Broad-billed, Blue-throated, and Magnificent.

Birds may be adopted at our public banding sessions on the San Pedro River or online via PayPal using the form below. "Adoption fees" vary by species:

Black-chinned Hummingbird $25	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Rufous Hummingbird $25	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Anna's Hummingbird $25	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Broad-tailed Hummingbird $25	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Broad-billed Hummingbird $35	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Calliope Hummingbird (limited availability) $35	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Costa's Hummingbird (limited availability) $35	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Lucifer Hummingbird (limited availability) $50	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Blue-throated Hummingbird (limited availability) $75	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Violet-crowned Hummingbird (limited availability) $100	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)
Magnificent Hummingbird (limited availability) $100	Preferred sex/age of bird no preference adult female adult male hatch-year female hatch-year male Name for bird Name of recipient (if gift)

For more information on adopting a hummingbird, please contact volunteer adoption coordinator Susan Ostrander at adoptions@sabo.org.

Tips for selecting a hummingbird to adopt:

• Females of the local nesting species, particularly Black-chinned, make the most interesting adoptions because they have a higher return rate than other birds in our study, and because we are often able to track them through their breeding cycles. Birds with existing recapture histories may be available for adoption.
• Rufous and Calliope do not nest in Arizona and so are the least likely of all our banded birds to be reencountered. If they are seen again, it is more likely to be on their breeding grounds or at another point along their migration routes (which for bird banders is like winning the lottery!).
• If a birthday, wedding anniversary, or other significant date falls between the first of April and the end of September, we may have banded birds on or near that date.

To find out more about SABO's this project, please visit SABO's photo album, Hummingbird Banding on the San Pedro River.

SABO needs your support to continue its work on behalf of the birds of southeastern Arizona and the habitats they depend on. We hope you'll consider becoming a member or making a donation to help us continue and expand our programs. Please visit our Membership page for more information or make a donation through PayPal by clicking the button below.

For more information on hummingbirds in southeastern Arizona, please contact us:

Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 5521
Bisbee, AZ 85603-5521
(520) 432-1388

Contact SABO

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SABO is a federally recognized tax-exempt charitable organization as defined under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; contributions are tax-deductible. SABO is a cooperator in Partners In Flight and a member of the American Bird Conservancy's Bird Conservation Alliance.

All photos and graphics on these pages are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

This page was last updated 17 October 2008