Happy Holidays from

The International Hummingbird Society!

Image courtesy of Chuck Watkins - Splish Splash Hummingbird

Support the Wonder of Hummingbirds

Conservation: New Project

Help the International Hummingbird Society contribute towards establishing a new reserve for the endangered Marvelous Spatuletail in partnership with the American Bird Conservancy.

Marvelous Spatuletail - in all of its glory - Image courtesy of Mark Waugh

___Since 2004, American Bird Conservancy and its partner Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) have been working in the Amazonas region of northern Peru to protect threatened bird species through land protection and habitat restoration. They have restored over 2,000 acres through the planting of over 1.3 million trees to benefit resident species and overwintering neotropical migrants, restoring both native forests and creating agricultural landscapes that are friendly to birds and local livelihoods.

___The existing Huembo Reserve is a 95-acre easement established specifically to protect a small, but important, population of the Endangered Marvelous Spatuletail, arguably the world’s most spectacular hummingbird. They are constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to protect species that are poorly represented in protected areas, and such an opportunity exists now in the Comunidad Campesina de Cuispes where the community has expressed an interest in protecting 1,100 acres in the headwaters of the spectacular Yumbilla (2,938 feet, world’s fifth tallest) and Chinata (1,914 feet) waterfalls. This is an important tract of habitat for the Marvelous Spatuletail which is restricted to the eastern slopes of the Utcubamba River valley and numbers fewer than 1,000 individuals. If protected, this would constitute the largest area of protected habitat for the species.

___The mechanism for protection will be the creation of a Private Conservation Area (PCA), which will be owned and managed by the community. ECOAN will work with the community to host a series of workshops to socialize the concept of the protected area and the community’s responsibilities and assist the community in preparing the necessary documents to secure recognition of the site as a protected area by the Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado (SERNANP), the federal agency in charge of the nation’s protected areas. Once it is designated as a PCA, it will become a part of the national system of protected areas. ECOAN will be in a position to initiate this process in Cuispes in the first half of 2023. It will require three years to obtain the decree from SERNANP.

Please, consider helping us with a year-end donation towards this endeavor.

Year End Review

Greeting from the International Hummingbird Society!

2022 has been a very positive and eventful year for the International Hummingbird Society and I'm excited to share our progress.

Education - Annual Festival - Especially for just having come from severe restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Sedona Hummingbird Festival was a huge success! The 2022 Sedona Hummingbird Festival featured 14 session opportunities for attendees to learn about hummingbirds and their habitats, active hummingbird banding events across each day of the festival, spectacular local and private hummingbird gardens, 12 early morning birding trips, opportunities for artists and artisans to share their creations, and a celebratory evening gala. The 2022 Sedona Hummingbird Festival attracted over 1000 participants across many states and numerous countries, including Honduras, and was supported in part by a grant from the City of Sedona.

Website - We successfully created a new website update that is easier for us to make changes on as well as being visually pleasing with more hummer images and very user friendly!

International Hummingbird Society Annual Calendars - While every Society calendar is beautiful, this year's Jewels of Joy calendar tops them all! With photos featuring new artists and a stunning array of beautiful hummingbirds. Society staff worked hard to get the calendar published early this year and sales are still going strong! Get your 2023 International Hummingbird Society calendar and support the Society's mission to teach about hummingbirds and to work to prevent the extinction of species at risk before they are gone.

Conservation - The Society has chosen the Marvelous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) for its conservation focus for 2023. This beautiful hummingbird, located in the Andean cloud forests of northern Peru, is listed as endangered. There are recent records of this species from just two locations and the known range is very small. Little demographic information is available, but the best-known population seems to be declining, placing it on the international endangered species list. Its population size is estimated at 250-999.

It is named after the birds' marvelous fan-like racquet-shaped tail feathers which they move up and down to impress the female in a glorious dance of love. The male's outrageous tail, blue crown, and iridescent green gorget ranks this species as one of the world's most spectacular birds. These hummingbirds feed on flowers at low to middle elevations, usually at the forest edge or in clearings. Its habitat and the flowers upon which it depends is shrinking and this beautiful species needs support for habitat restoration. We will be partnering with the American Bird Conservancy that is working to expand their habitat with the purchase of 1,200 acres.

While the International Hummingbird Society is celebrating its successes, we continue to operate on a tight budget, which risks this essential work on behalf of the world's hummingbird species. Your year-end, tax-deductible contribution will make all the difference and help to ensure that the Society's important work to educate and conserve continues. Please, make a tax-deductible contribution now and help us protect the Marvelous Spatuletail.

We are profoundly grateful for your steadfast partnership this year. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on what is most meaningful and to celebrate interconnection through generosity and receiving. So, if our mission and offerings are valuable to you, please contribute by donating.

With warmest wishes for the New Year,

Beth Kingsley Hawkins

Executive Director

Available, now! Give the gift that can be enjoyed throughout the year this holiday season. Our brilliant calendar is packed with high quality vivid images of a variety of hummingbirds. Get yours ordered today!

Do you or someone you know loves hummingbirds? Give the gift of these special birds this holiday season. We have everything from different levels of memberships, a variety of books, apparel, and other exciting items. Click the buttons below to visit our International Hummingbird Society shop. There is bound to be something for everyone!

Hummers Heated Delight

It's getting cold out there! Help out the Anna's hummingbird if you live on the west side of the United States. Hummers Heated Delight is a great way to keep hummingbirds fed during the harsh winters. We have one left at the Society. Order from Hummers Heated Delight by clicking the button below!

Wishing you joyful holidays and a happy New Year!