Rufous Hummingbirds and the Consequences of Urbanization
Author: Emily Hernandez
Faculty Supervisor: Jaime Chaves
Department: Biology
Rufous Hummingbirds are one of fifteen long-journey migratory hummingbirds that reside in the United States. These hummingbirds make one of the longest migratory journeys of any bird of the world, measured by body size, traveling westbound from Southern Alaska to Central Mexico. Rufous hummingbirds are of interest due to their categorization in the “yellow watch list” in the 2016 Landbird Conservation Plan, meaning that they are at risk of extinction if no conservation efforts are made. Here, we will be focusing on the Rufous Hummingbirds breeding location in Washington State, primarily focusing on the westside of Washington. There is uncertainty as to whether urbanization in Washington State is driving the decline of Rufous Hummingbirds from their breeding location or if there are other factors that may be contributing to their decline in population. Here, we show the correlation between the decline in abundance of these hummingbirds and the increase of urbanization projects in Washington State. This will be analyzed through data sets composed by Ebird, Cornell Lab, and the Washington State Department of Ecology municipal information dataset, focusing on the time period between the 1950’s up until 2022. By analyzing these datasets, we will be able to draw a generalized conclusion of how these two ideas may correlate. We will also be able to get a clearer picture on how urbanization affects species, in either a positive or negative light. Our results also serve to highlight the possible consequences of the urbanization of ecologically rich regions as well as bring into conversation the possibilities of conservation in regions that may home species that are “at risk” of extinction due to urbanization.