Welcome to FloridaHummingbirds.net
12/5/2017: The new look to floridahummingbirds.net is a result of moving the domain to a new host. The site needed to be recreated. More updates to the site are expected in the future. Send me any recommendations for improving this site through the Contacts page.
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Floridahummingbirds.net was created in 2009 to improve our understanding of the species of hummingbirds that may be found in the state of Florida. We had hoped to improve our understanding of their wintering distribution as well as their breeding range by creating a database of reports. We also hoped to improve the communication of sight reports, educate on the identification of the different species that have been found, or may one day be found in Florida, and aide in residents attempts to attract hummingbirds.
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We've been successful in improving the knowledge relating to all of our goals and will continue to be a resource for all interested in Florida's hummingbirds.
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We hoped to enhance our understanding of their distributions by collecting a database of reports from across the state. The collection of data was (and currently is still being) done through reports to our forum at: http://floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/ . Data from these reports will be available to anyone who wishes to view it on the forum. A search feature is available to aid in finding specific records. As more people find our site and begin reporting their observations, we believe that we'll begin seeing a clearer picture of where the hummingbirds really are at any given time of the year.
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The forum was beneficial in reaching people and getting sightings reported but never quite caught on as we'd hoped. There is still a lot of good information in those earlier discussions. It's still there and there are occasional discussions occurring but our Facebook group has been where the most discussion and sharing of photographs is happening. Our Facebook Group is Hummingbirds in Florida. Please answer the question when requesting membership in the group. Make it simple. It's just a step to help avoid spam accounts.
We hope the Species Page will be a tool that will help observers of hummingbirds be able to identify any hummingbirds they may see and to recognize when it's a rarity. Better understanding of the possible species and what they look like will improve the likelihood that less common birds will identified, reported and documented. In the past, we've seen multiple cases of people hosting rare hummingbirds who didn't know they were rare and chance encounters were the only reason they were reported.
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We're currently in the process of updating the Species information with a short description of each species from hummingbirds.net. We hope to eventually update it with even more detailed information as well as more photos.
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In addition to the data collection goals of this site, we also want to be able to educate in all aspects of these amazing birds. We've created the forum and Facebook group as ways for questions to be easily answered. Members become the regional experts who are often more qualified to give answers than an admin with limited statewide experience. Landscaping is a good example of questions that will be best answered by someone else in the same region. So, please ask questions but also feel free to answer them as well.
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Thank you,
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Steve Backes
Valrico, FL
