Tracking the Smallest Birds in the World

From January 24-27, 2024, researchers and students convened at the Las Joyas Scientific Station in Mexico's Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve to evolve and test the best-possible techniques for attaching tiny radio transmitters to the backs of some of the world’s smallest birds, including the near-threatened Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus). By using tiny radio transmitters on some of the smallest bird species, this collaborative research project aims to identify optimal hummingbird harnessing techniques and answer ecological research questions important for avian conservation.