The choice of paint wasn't random guesswork. It's water-based with no petrochemical solvents, and it's the marking medium of choice among banders because it has proven completely harmless while lasting a couple of months, just long enough to be useful. Feathers are molted periodically, and the paint goes with them, if it hasn't already washed or worn off. My federal banding permit includes a specific approval to use this paint. I mark all birds caught at my house, and some of them have returned annually for up to six years, or 150% of the average hummingbird lifespan. Think about it--what would be the point of banding birds if you were compromising their health in the process? The longer those birds thrive and are recaptured, the more we learn more about their lives and biology.
Yes: it turns a few of them blue.
As for catching hummers, that's relatively easy with the right kind of trap. The really delicate part is getting them out of the trap safely, and of course applying a tiny band to the leg. Kids, don't try this at home!
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thanks again, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge .
One part white granulated sugar to four parts tapwater. No dye or other ingredients, no boiling required. There's a whole page about feeders on my website, which I'm not allowed to link here. Google "hummingbirds" and it will be the first result that's not an ad. That's what happens when you've been on the web for 18 years...
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