The Standard received an email from Federal Licensed Bird Bander Cyndi Routledge, CEO of Southeastern Avian Research (SEAR) about the recordbreaking lifespan of an adult male ruby-throated hummingbird in Dover. “A more subtle marvel has occurred in Dover, Tennessee.”
Routledge, who conducts bird banding said on a sunny summer morning in July of 2017, Southeastern Avian Research was invited to band hummingbirds at the home of Crutcher as part of a migration study. Routledge said she was informed by many Stewart County residents, Crutcher, “Had lots of hummingbirds.” Routledge said they set up traps and banded 78 rubythroated hummingbirds, including adult male ruby-throat K78219.
According to Routledge, the same bird appeared at Crutcher’s residence again in 2018, 2020, 2021 and then again in 2024. Routledge said when she re-caught him in August of 2024 he was 8 years old. “Knowing the longevity record for the ruby-throated hummingbirds was 9 years and 2 months and that bird was a female, our excitement began to rise and we began to wonder if perhaps he was a male record?” Routledge said she emailed the “Bird Banding Laboratory” and was informed there were a few that were a bit older.
However, in July of this year, the same ruby-throated hummingbird appeared at Crutcher’s residence, he was nine years and one month old. Routledge said traps were set up and after they trapped him, “I held in hand the oldest known male rubythroated hummingbird.” Routledge said this was, “Extraordinary,” because hummingbirds, “Face an array of dangers,” including predatory birds, inclement weather, habitat loss and collisions with windows. “For a hummingbird to survive for nearly a decade, every factor must align in its favor,” Routledge said…