The North Central Washington Audubon Society’s Hummingbird Survey was created to gather data to show the presence and timing of hummingbirds in North Central Washington. The organizers had questions about year-round presence and where the birds were located. They also observed that published Anna’s Hummingbird range maps didn’t match what was known to be true – the birds are here year-round, and they are successfully breeding here. 

The survey leaders looked into how to use existing knowledge and photo/video proof to facilitate the needed updates to published range maps and species descriptions. When they asked various authorities how to do this, they consistently heard “get your data into eBird”. This is where the NCWAS Hummingbird Survey came in. 

Quick summary:  IT WORKED!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recently released new range maps on their “eBird Status and Trends” website. The Anna’s Hummingbird is among the many bird species included in this work. The maps show two very important things: (1) Anna’s are present in North Central Washington year-round, and (2) they are successfully breeding here. These maps result from an analysis of eBird data.  

The data submitted to eBird as part of the NCWAS survey contributed to the successful revision of the Anna’s Hummingbird range map to show what we know to be true. The new maps are a great step forward in our understanding of Anna’s across their entire range and locally.

Have you ever wondered about the “where” and “when” of Anna’s in Washington State. A summary paper showing maps and charts of state-wide Anna’s over time is now available (click here to view and download).  The paper consolidates the eBird data along with data collected through the Christmas Bird Count and Cornell’s NestWatch program. Over 250 email entries to the Tweeters listserv were inspected for mentions of Anna’s over time.  Data in the Breeding Bird Survey and published literature are also included in the report.

The report is a PDF file that can be opened and viewed in Adobe Acrobat or other PDF viewers.  Viewing the PDF allows you to zoom in and out for close inspection of details. Using the PDF format also allows the use color to enhance the content.  The PDF file is sized at 8.5 x 11 inches to allow printing if you want a hard copy.

Please let us know if you have new information to share about Anna’s Hummingbirds in Washington State or if you have any questions about the report.

Happy Birding!