Hummingbirds

Lab researchers: Holly Ernest, Adrienne Mackenzie, Megan Dudenhoeffer, Braden Godwin,

Examining age of hummingbird. Photo by Jessica Grant

Hummingbird Health Program

Dr. Holly Ernest, runs the Hummingbird Health Program for the Rocky Mountain regions.  She has been assisted by Adrienne Mackenzie, Megan Dudenhoeffer, Braden Godwin. Collaborators include Dr. Berit Bangoura (University of Wyoming), Dr. Lisa Tell (UC Davis), Dr. Ravinder Sehgal (San Francisco State University), Andy Engilis (UC Davis), Dr. Bob Poppenga (UC Davis), the Hummingbird Monitoring Program, and others.

Hummingbirds provide vital functions to natural areas, including pollination and insectivory. As ecosystem sentinels, they travel rapidly and widely from flower to flower and prey on thousands of tiny insects. Even more special is that they are stunningly beautiful birds, with bright iridescent colors. We need to learn their population numbers, biology, and health status in order to better conserve them. There are currently very few data on diseases, population health, genetic diversity and population structure for the hummingbird species breeding and migrating through Wyoming, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain region, and the Hummingbird Health Program is helping to change that.

We developed genomic population genetic markers (SNPs, single nucleotide polymorphism loci) that can now differentiate the hummingbird species that breed and travel through Wyoming. Identification of “populations and species at risk” is vital for disease analyses. The genetics work helps identify what a functional “population” is within each of the species, and is vital to disease monitoring and assessment work.

In the news:

Featured in the Buffalo Bulletin:
Hummingbird Health
by Jen Sieve-Hicks

Featured in Rockies Audubon:
Lab member is “Habitat Hero”: Brady Godwin guest blogs for Rockies Audubon about hummingbirds, looks for feeders to band at
by Brady Godwin

Featured in the Laramie Boomerang:
Read about PhD student Brady Godwin studying hummingbird health
by Eve Newman

Wyoming Game and Fish
Hummingbird Health Check article
by Mark Gocke

Wyoming Wildlife Magazine
Article “Small Wonders” by
Amber Leberman &  Jessica Grant | Subscribe to Wyoming Wildlife!

Brady gently capturing hummingbird for health exam. Photo by Mark Gocke

Conservation Genomics and Development of New DNA Tools

Using next-generation DNA sequencing and genomic research techniques, geographic information systems (GIS) to map locations, field identifications and health exams of individual birds, we are examining population biology and hummingbird health. So little is known about hummingbird ecology, diseases, and population numbers, this information is vital to determine which hummingbird species or populations are declining.

Braden Godwin (Brady) focused his graduate research on Allen’s Hummingbird along Pacific coastal California.

We are also applying conservation genomic and population health tools for study of Broad-tailed Hummingbird in the Rocky Mountain West).

Our Publications on Hummingbird Disease Ecology and Genetics

• See all publications here
• Prevalence and Diversity of Hemoparasites in a High-elevation Hummingbird. Adrienne M. Mackenzie and Megan Dudenhoeffer (co-first authors), Berit Bangoura, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal, Lisa A. Tell, Braden L. Godwin, Holly B. Ernest. 2021-2022 In journal review
• Low Prevalence of Haemosporidians in Blood and Tissue Samples from California Hummingbirds. 2021, Journal of Parasitology.  A. N. Galvin, A. C. Bradshaw, B. M. Myers, L. A. Tell, H. B. Ernest, and R. N. M. Sehgal. Collaboration with San Francisco State University, UC Davis, and University of Wyoming.
• Novel hybrid finds a peri-urban niche: Allen’s Hummingbirds in southern California. 2020. Braden L. Godwin, Melanie Elizabeth Francis LaCava, Beth Mendelsohn, Roderick B. Gagne, Kyle D. Gustafson, Sierra M. Love Stowell, Andrew Engilis Jr., Lisa A. Tell, Holly B. Ernest. Conservation Genetics. Collaboration among Univ. of Wyoming, UC Davis, Colorado State University, Arkansas State Univ, other bird banders and experts, and research site hosts along the California coastline.
• Analysis of insecticide exposure in California hummingbirds using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. 2019, Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Emily E. Graves, Karen A. Jelks, Janet E. Foley, Michael S. Filigenzi, Robert H. Poppenga, Holly B. Ernest, Richard Melnicoe, Lisa A. Tell.
• Leukocyte reference intervals for free-ranging hummingbirds in northern California. Noa Safra, Mary Christopher, Holly Ernest, Ruta Bandivadekar, and Lisa Tell. 2018. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.
• Detection and prevalence of Haemoproteus archilochus (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) in two species of California Hummingbirds. 2017. Bradshaw A, Tell LA, Ernest HB, Bahan S, Carlson J, Sehgal RNM. Parasitology Research.
• Molecular Sex Identification Markers for Five North American Hummingbird Species. 2016. Hagadorn KA, Tell LA, Drazenovich TL, HB Ernest. Conservation Genetics Resources.
• Hummingbird Health: Pathogens and disease conditions in the family Trochilidae. LA Godoy, LA Tell, HB Ernest. 2014. Journal of Ornithology. In loving memory of Loreto Godoy.
• Characterization of avian poxvirus in Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) in California. LA Godoy, LS Dalbeck, LA Tell, LW Woods, RR Colwell, B Robinson, SM Wethington, A Moresco, PR Woolcock, HB Ernest. 2013. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.

Hummingbird resources:

• Western Hummingbird Partnership
• Hummingbird Monitoring Network
• UC Davis California Hummingbird Health and Conservation Program, Dr. Lisa Tell
• Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Photo: Manfred Kusch