Patterns of Urban Hummingbird Nest Distribution on the LMU Campus

Authors

Amy Weber, Loyola Marymount University

Files

Description

Urban environments provide numerous benefits to hummingbirds including feeders, planted flowers, and nesting sites.

The thermal environment, among other factors, may be important to hummingbird’s choice of nesting microhabitats (Calder 1974).

Allen’s and Anna’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin sedentarius) breeds during the winter months in Los Angeles (Clarke 2017).

Between 2012 and 2016, five active hummingbird nests were discovered and monitored on the LMU campus.

In 2017, 15 active nests were monitored on the LMU campus. The locations of these 15 active nests and 45 older nests seemed to exhibit a clustered pattern, and individual nests often were in close proximity to built structures.

Question: How does the distribution of 2018 nests across the LMU campus compare to the distribution of hummingbird 2017 nests? What are the microhabitats surrounding hummingbird nests?

Hypothesis: The distribution of 2018 hummingbird nests across the LMU campus will be similar to the 2017 distribution. Most nests will be partially sheltered from the sun and wind by their surroundings, and many will be in close proximity to built structures.

Publication Date

2018

Recommended Citation

Weber, Amy, "Patterns of Urban Hummingbird Nest Distribution on the LMU Campus" (2018). Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters. 8.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cures_posters/8