Date: 08/24/2013

Number: 1

A male rufous hummingbird was first spotted at our feeder on August 24, 2013. We contacted a licensed hummingbird bander with the Georgia Hummer Study Group, and she came and banded him on August 26. When she looked to see if he had already been banded, she found that he only had one leg! She could not feel any scarring or stump, so she thinks it’s a congenital condition. He seems to manage fine, and she said that he was healthy and of a good weight. He is still here as of today (September 4, 2013).
This is the fourth rufous hummingbird we have had in our yard since April of 2011. Three of those four were banded by the same bander. One of them overwintered with us last year, staying here from October 2012 until April 2013. We are waiting to see if this most recent bird will also overwinter with us.

Woodstock, GA

Latitude: 34.1 Longitude: -84.5

Observed by: RM
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