Getting hummingbirds to stay around and getting migrating hummers to return year after year, however, takes a little more effort. If you want them to nest in your yard, you need suitable trees and a good population of spiders. That means you cannot spray with pesticides.

In certain parts of the country, especially in humid, forested areas near lakes and streams, spiders are considered pests. People install misting systems to keep spiders away from their houses and porches so that they will not clutter up the place with webs.

Spraying for spiders can be counterproductive for two reasons: Spiders eat flies, mosquitoes, and other flying pests, and hummingbirds eat spiders. In fact, spiders are the hummingbirds’ main food source.

So if you kill off the spider population near your house, your yard becomes less attractive to nesting hummingbirds. The spray may also be bad for the tiny birds. Do not spray for mosquitoes or wasps either.

Planting red, trumpet-shaped, nectar-bearing flowers also attracts hummingbirds. If you do that, be sure to plant them where you will be able to easily see the hummingbirds to come to drink from them. It can be a beautiful sight.

In dry areas, or during dry summers, lawn sprinklers help the flowers and provide drops of water on leaves for the hummingbirds. To save water in dry areas while maintaining lush flowers and foliage for the hummers, a drip irrigation system is efficient and economical.

So if you want crowds of hummingbirds around your feeders, and you want the chance of seeing a nest of baby hummers in your yard, be kind to spiders, plant the right flowers and plants, hang red hummingbird feeders (and keep them clean and filled with fresh nectar)—and irrigate for lush vegetation.

Then just sit back and watch the show.

HUMMINGBIRD FEEDING Image by birdfarm via Flickr

These amazing little birds astound with their miniscule measurement and lightning-fast wing beats. An average hummingbird is only a handful of inches very long, a lot less than an ounce in excess weight, and can beat its wings as fast as sixty miles per hour when in dive or escape mode.

Although there are a wide range of hummingbird species, the most extensively recognized is probably the ruby-throated assortment. If you want to bring humming birds to your yard or garden, you’ll need some humming bird food.

The most purely natural and wonderful way to entice and feed hummingbirds is by planting a hummingbird backyard. Hummingbird gardens not only draw in hummingbirds, but butterflies as nicely, due to the fact they each like nectar.

When choosing flowers, vegetation and shrubs for your garden, look for red or bright pink colours and trumpet shapes. Red Columbine, Butterfly Bush, Early morning Glory, Bee Balm, Rose of Sharon, Honeysuckle and Azalea are just a handful of examples of botanicals that hummingbirds adore.

A single term of assistance: when repelling pests from your backyard, use organic items and tactics. You really don’t want to damage the hummingbirds with toxic pesticides.

Along with your hummingbird backyard, a excellent way to give sustenance to hummingbirds is with a humming bird feeder. Hummingbird feeders are tube shaped bottles with very small holes for dispensing nectar. They arrive in all colors of plastic and glass. You can come across ornamental painted ones, distinct ones, and colored ones.

If you can, select a red feeder since hummingbirds discover the color red extremely eye-catching. You can fill the feeder with a shop-bought nectar answer, or just make your very own by combining 1 cup sugar and 4 cups h2o. Hummingbirds like this combination, and generating it yourself can help save you funds! Be certain to carefully wash your feeder possibly in your dishwasher or with sizzling, soapy h2o every time you transform the nectar remedy.

There are a huge variety of trees, shrubs, flowers and vines you can contain in your hummingbird garden. Some well-known choices consist of: Azalea, Butterfly Bush, Honeysuckle, Early morning Glory, Bee Balm, Foxglove, Hummingbird Mint, Trumpet Creeper, Hosta, Impatiens, Red Buckeye and Petunia. In basic, you will want to plant trumpet-shaped, nectar generating, vivid-colored flowers.

The following matter you’ll want to do is hang your hummingbird feeders. At most any backyard supply shop, you’ll come across a wide variety of feeders created particularly for hummingbirds. To fill the feeder, you can invest in a commercially made feeding remedy, or make your private. All that’s needed is a person portion white sugar blended with 4 areas drinking water. Some folks will inform you to use red meals coloring in your hummingbird solution to entice the birds, but this is not essential and could be unsafe to the birds.

So now you know the very best way to draw in and feed humming birds — with vivid, nectar-producing flowers and sweet humming bird meals. The birds will appreciate the exertion you’ve place in and thank you by coming to dine — so enjoy the fleeting time put in observing your humming birds!

I am a bird lover and I have a bunch of birds in my property. They can freely eat their feeds with my hands. I am right here to share some ideas on how to acquire treatment of your birds. Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds: A Bird Watcher’s Manual
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BEE BALM PLANT (MONARDA) Image via Wikipedia

You’re guaranteed to come across a single that is great for your new garden! You can find additional facts about bee balm at NewGardener.com.

Gardenview Scarlet Monarda — The Monarda ‘Gardenview Scarlet’, Monarda didyma, also identified as Bee Balm, Bergamont, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, is a clump-forming perennial that has tubular, two-lipped, red rose flowers with dark green aromatic foliage.

‘Gardenview Scarlet’ stands at 3′ higher and has a plant distribute of 24-30″ and blooms from July to August. If deadheaded, (remove aged flowers from plant) more time bloom times will be encouraged. Monarda requires to be planted in complete sun, but will tolerate afternoon shade.

Grandview Scarlets are ideal grown in loaded soil in a very well-drained place, not getting authorized to dry out. The leaves of Monarda can be applied for teas and in salads. Attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, especially when massed, Monarda gives you color and contrast for the perennial border, wild garden, meadow, and herb garden or along ponds or streams.

Petite Delight Monarda — The Monarda ‘Petite Delight’, Monarda didyma, also recognized as Bee Balm, Bergamont, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, is a clump-forming perennial that has tubular, two-lipped, light red to purple flowers with dark green aromatic foliage.

Petite Wonder Monarda — The Monarda ‘Petite Wonder’, Monarda didyma, also recognized as Bee Balm, Bergamont, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, is a clump-forming perennial that has tubular, two-lipped, light pink flowers with dark green aromatic foliage.

Raspberry Wine Monarda — The Monarda ‘Raspberry Wine’, Monarda didyma, also identified as Bee Balm, Bergamont, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, is a clump-forming perennial that has tubular, two-lipped, raspberry flowers with dark green aromatic foliage. ‘Raspberry Wine’ stands at 36′ significant and has a plant distribute of 24-36″ and blooms from July to August. If deadheaded, (removal of dead flowers from plant) longer bloom occasions will be encouraged. Monarda requires to be planted in complete sun, but will tolerate afternoon shade. Raspberry Wines are best grown in wealthy soil in a perfectly-drained area, not getting permitted to dry out. The leaves of Monarda can be employed for teas and in salads. Attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, particularly when massed, Monarda gives you coloration and contrast for the perennial border, wild garden, meadow, herb garden or along ponds or streams.

Bee Balm Dotted Mint — The Bee Balm Dotted Mint, ‘Monarda lambada’, is a wide range of Bee Balm that has a unique and remarkable flower cluster. To protest tea taxes, the unique colonists drank Bee Balm tea. It is native to the eastern United States.

Grand Marshall Monarda — Bee Balm Grand Marshall, Monarda ‘Grand Marshall’, has more time bloom times than other bee balms. Monarda are ideal grown in prosperous soil in a perfectly-drained spot, not staying authorized to dry out. The leaves of monarda can be utilized for teas and in salads. Attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, in particular when massed, monarda gives color and contrast for the perennial border, wild garden, meadow, and herb garden or along ponds or streams.

Grand Parade Monarda — Bee Balm Grand Parade, Monarda ‘Grand Parade’, is an exceptionally hardy hybrid from the Morden Breeding Program in Manitoba. In mid to late summer months, the compact bushy plants are covered with enjoyable looking two.5″ lavender purple flowers. Hummingbirds and butterflies cannot resist the sweet nectar of these fragrant flowers!

I am a bird lover and I have a bunch of birds in my household. They can freely eat their feeds with my fingers. I am right here to share some suggestions on how to just take care of your birds. feeding humming birds ideas on the net
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BEE IN CLOVER Image by elycefeliz via Flickr

Organic flowers have risen in popularity largely due to Fair Trade practices that promote small farms in other countries growing organic produce or fruit to earn their own income. The typical bouquet that you would have delivered by a florist or one that you pick up in the supermarket has been grown in a foreign country where the crops are sprayed with large amounts of herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers exempt from U.S. regulations.

The result is that many of the workers have suffered terrifying illness to the extent that their very DNA has been altered permanently and their immune systems no longer function adequately. There are also links to various forms of cancer associated with repeated exposure to these toxins. Remember that the next time you lean in close to those flowers and take a deep breath and inhale!

It sounds preposterous I know, but some of these same chemicals are used right here in the United Stated on our own crops, just in smaller doses. Think of it as a slow bullet. One such chemical is Glyphospate. It is marketed in the United States under the brand name Round Up. Have you read the warnings on the label? It is there for your protection, that alone should be a warning to you. This chemical is designed to kill, the only problem is that is continues to do so long after the weed is dead.

The United States is facing a crisis and apiarists have been aware of this growing problem for years now. Our honey bee population, butterflies and even hummingbirds have been decimated. Now there is new evidence that the use of cell phones disrupts the bees innate navigational system and they die before ever finding their way back to the hive, leaving the queen and eggs abandoned. It is so common now that is has been termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Strange as it seems parasites and other wildlife that normally raid honey, after a colony dies refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives. Leave the cell phone in the house may be god advice.

An estimated 60 per cent of its commercial bee population has been lost on the West Coast of The United States and on the East Coast it is estimated that 70 per cent are gone. Many can recall Albert Einstein saying that if the honey bee disappeared man would die off in four years. I really don’t want to test his theory considering his track record. Do you? Now is a good time to start your own organic flower garden to provide a natural and safe habitat for nature’s pollinators. You can do your part by maintaining organic flower beds for bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. There are a wide variety of flowers that you can choose from that bees find irresistible.

Here is but a partial list of the best known varieties. Asters, Buttercups Catnip, Clover, Comfrey, Daffodil, Fennel, Geranium, Goldenrod, Hollyhock, Lavender, Marigolds, Marjoram, Mint, Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Strawberry, Sunflower, Thyme and Zinnias. This should give you a few possibilities to think about.

You will be helping to preserve and reclaim your portion of the environment while your plants absorb carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Did you know it is an old practice for greenhouses to vent exhaust from the heating units into the greenhouse? Plants need carbon dioxide to live and raised levels actually increase plant growth. Growing your own organic flowers is a lot of fun and there is a a natural calming sense when you are outside tending to your flowers. You can start with a simple container and progress to a raised bed garden as space and experience permit.

Declare your garden a chemical free zone and encourage others to follow your example. Enjoy the natural beauty and fragrance without risking the side effects associated with exposure to chemical toxins.
Greg Traver is a free lance copywriter and viral marketer who has a passion for organics. His writing is informative and entertaining, which explains why he is featured on millions of websites world wide. To more information or to contact him visit ===>
http://www.organic-gardening-for-life.com.
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CYPRESS-VINE IPOMOEA QUAMOCLIT Image via Wikipedia

Planting the right flowering plants is an excellent way to enjoy the company of hummingbirds. It also adds beautiful color to your garden.

Azalea, Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Cape Honeysuckle, Flame Acanthus, Flowering Quince, Lantana, Manzanita, Mimosa, Red Buckeye, Tree Tobacco, Turk’s Cap, and Weigela are some of the best trees and shrubs to consider when deciding what to plant to attract hummingbirds to your garden.

Vines to think about are Coral Honeysuckle, Cypress Vine, Morning Glory, Scarlet Runner Bean and Trumpet Creeper. Depending on Climate, perennial flowers are a good source of attraction for hummingbirds. 

Some of these are Bee Balm (Monarda), Canna, Cardinal Flower, Columbine, Coral Bells, Four O’Clocks, Foxglove, Hosta, Hummingbird Mint (Agastache), Little Cigar, Lupine, Penstemon, and Yucca.

A few annuals to consider for your garden are Beard Tongue (and other penstemons), Firespike, Fuchsia, Impatiens, Jacobiana, Jewelweed, Petunia, Various Salvia species, and Shrimp Plant. It is always best to check with your local gardening center to see which trees, shrubs, flowers and vines will do best in your area and for your climate.

Hummingbirds have very little to no sense of smell. For this reason they are largely attracted to trees, vines, flowers and shrubs that they can see and which produce nectar. They are constantly looking for new sources of food when they are traveling or migrating on their routine routes – called traplining. Your new flowering garden would offer them a nice place to gather nutrition.

Not only do they feed off the nectar, but also on insects that call these gardens home. Hummingbirds rely upon the protein from these “garden pests.” Therefore, it is not a good idea to use pesticides in your garden. If they ingest the pesticides, it could sicken or kill them.

Hummingbirds can conserve energy by entering a hibernation-like state called “torpor.” They can control their body temperature by either lowering it about 20 degrees or raising it up to 50 degrees. This will help them to stay warm on a cold night or help sustain them when food is scarce. Trees and shrubs provide a wonderful place for hummingbirds to perch and perhaps torpor.

There are many beautiful ways to bring nature together in an outside setting.   Researching to plant the right kind of flowering plants, trees or shrubs will bring you many hours of enjoyment when hummingbirds discover a new place to nurture themselves on their travels. You might want to think about adding a hummingbird sun spinner and other garden accessories to your bird oasis as well.

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RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (ARCHILOCHUS COLUBRIS), MALE, CAP TOURMENTE NATIONAL WILDLIFE AREA, QUEBEC, CANADA Image via Wikipedia

1. Get the Right Kind of Feeder.

Saucer type feeders with perches and ant motes are preferred.

I have been using saucer type feeders almost exclusively for years. I feel the birds prefer them to the tube type and they are generally much easier to clean.

Birds like to perch, rest, catch tiny bugs and survey their territory at the feeders. Sitting and resting during feeding saves precious energy and helps young birds to socialize. The flat feeders also give the little guys a much better view of their spread.

I have learned the hard way that yellow flowers on feeders are unnecessary. They not only attract ants and bees, they can become brittle and break. The extra pieces also make the feeder harder to clean.

I recommend the HummZinger by Aspects which is basically only two pieces. It is attractive, drip resistant, easy to clean and has a deeper well which deters bees and wasps.

This is a sketch of my Fancy Hummzinger from my Drawing Everyday Blog.

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2. Use the Right Sugar Water Mixture.

Never use premixed solutions!

I repeat, do not use premixed solutions! ESPECIALLY do not use any product with red dye. The additives and dyes are unnecessary and could potentially harm the birds. Hummingbirds get their nutrition from the insects they eat. Although no studies have been conducted on birds ingesting dyes, why take a chance on something that’s totally useless? The birds will be attracted by the red color of your feeder. If you’ve got a cool designer model with a fancy shape and a different color, do yourself a favor and junk it or hang it inside. In my experience, they are more trouble than they are worth.

You’ll need to make a plain ole’ SUGAR WATER NECTAR to attract our little jewels. A four part tap water to one part regular cane sugar (absolutely no substitutes) is the most widely accepted solution. This mix approximates the average sucrose content of flowers favored by North American birds. Do not use anything other than pure cane sugar and don’t make it sweeter as it may harm the birds. Sometimes people like to make things more complicated than they need to be. There’s no need to boil the water! Really, trust me. Just use very hot tap water and dissolve the sugar by stirring vigorously. This will last up to two weeks in the fridge, but I make up mine as needed. Use a towel underneath the feeder as you carry it outside to avoid sticky drips.

I personally use a five parts water to one part sugar mixture except during times of migration, when they need to put on weight and require more energy. This five to one mix increases hummingbird action at my feeders and decreases ant and other insect attraction. It also saves on sugar bills and the hummers seem to like it just as well.

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3. Hang your Feeder in the Right Place.

Location is key.

The north side of your home is the most desirable location. It will probably be in shade most of the day which will keep your sugar water cooler and fresher longer. The south side is least desirable and will most likely be in more direct sunlight. Positioning feeders near trees and plant cover is ideal, however a big part of attracting these little dazzlers is enjoying their company, so be sure to hang them by windows or areas of your yard that you use frequently. To be on the safe side, if not protected by a screen, put decals and or sun catchers on windows near feeders to avoid collisions.

I think pole hangers are the safest and most versatile because they can easily be moved to ideal locations. These poles come a variety of heights and should be adjusted for window viewing. Poles keep feeders a safe distance off of the ground, away from predators. Feeders should be at least five to six feet in the air and far enough away from trees to deter curious cats.

Where there’s sugar, there will be ants, so here’s a few tips about ants. I successfully used Raid Outdoor Ant Bait Stakes at the base of my poles to eliminate ants last year. I have sprayed PAM cooking oil on poles at the base, near the ground to eliminate ants from climbing up. Do not spray or use vegetable oil or shortening up high where it could drip or come into contact with birds!

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4. The Right Feeder Maintenance is Paramount

The return is well worth the effort.

Maintaining your feeders is a commitment. Your hummers will become dependent on your care. Be prepared to continue with the upkeep, or plant a hummingbird garden, instead. Hummingbirds will starve rather than consume spoiled sugar water. If you let them down, they will simply move on and you’ll be left hummerless.

When the sugar solution in your feeder turns cloudy, it’s spoiled and needs to be replaced. If the temperature is over 80 degrees (F), clean and refill at least every three or four days. Over 90°(F), it might spoil in one or two days. Discard any unconsumed or spoiled solution after a week, or if the water becomes cloudy. Every filling, flush the feeder with hot tap water and scrub with a small bottle brush or special feeder brush. Don’t use soap, just water. Visually inspect the entire feeder for black mold each time you fill it! This mold is easily removed with a brush and bleach soak. A bleach soak should be done on a regular basis; monthly or as needed. Clean the feeder thoroughly with a solution of 1/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water Soak one hour, then clean with a bottle or feeder brush. Rinse well with running water and refill. If the birds are not emptying your feeder between cleanings, just partially refill it.

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5. Provide the Right Environment.

Make your yard hummer friendly!

Plant vegetation that attracts hummingbirds to your yard. This will provide natural nectar and attract the insects they feed on. The flowers they are attracted to are usually highly visible with little or no fragrance. A hummer garden is also a great way to attract customers to your feeders. Be sure to protect the birds from predators by keeping the bushes trimmed up off the ground and flower beds protected from lurking cats by using small garden fences. We have a low wall around our Butterfly Bushes and have also successfully used a low picket fencing that comes in a roll. Don’t use pesticides around hummingbird plants. Pesticides will also eliminate the small insects hummingbirds rely upon for protein. Ingesting pesticides sprayed onto flowers could sicken or kill the birds

* Some Common Plants to Attract and Feed Hummingbirds ~

Trees and Shrubs ~ *Azalea *Butterfly Bush *Cape Honeysuckle *Hibiscus *Mt. Laurel *Mimosa *Rose of Sharon

Vines ~ *Coral Honeysuckle *Cypress Vine *Morning Glory *Trumpet Creeper

Flowers ~ *Bee Balm *Canna *Cardinal Flower *Columbine *Foxglove *Hosta *Yucca *Fuchsia *Impatiens * Petunia * Various Salvia species

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Living in Southern New Jersey, the only species we see here is the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. I have been enjoying and feeding them for over twenty years. By August,we usually have hordes of hummers. Because they return to the same spot year after year, we just keep getting more and more! I heard one way to estimate the number of individuals you have, is to count the number you can see at one time, and then multiply it by four. The most I could count at one time was 27, so we probably had over 100 birds here last year. We went through over seventy pounds of sugar! My friends have started to call me a name I am very fond and proud of, “The Hummingbird Master”.

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Image via Wikipedia

With just a little bit of planning, you can have beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds flocking to your garden. That’s good news for gardeners because not only are these winged creatures fun to watch, they’re essential pollinators.

The key is to know what hummingbirds and butterflies look for, which is flowers with nectar. So when you select nectar-rich plants for your garden, look for varieties that are both prolific bloomers and have a long bloom time.

Prune your plants to prevent excessive woody growth and encourage the growth of new flowers.

Try these tips from Monrovia, one of the leading growers of plants:

Attracting Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are attracted to bright orange, red and hot pink blossoms. Their long, narrow beaks can reach the nectar of long, tubular flowers such as the Balboa Sunset Trumpet Vine with its large scarlet blossoms, and the Goldflame Honeysuckle, which has vibrant yellow and red flowers.

Other good choices are the Super Red Flowering Maple and the Navajo series of Salvia, available in many colors, including bright red, rose and salmon red.

Not all hummingbirds feed at the same height, so plant an array of shrub sizes and climbing vines for food sources.

Attracting Butterflies

Butterflies are attracted to yellow, orange and red. They too are seeking nectar, but their mouths, or proboscises, are much smaller, so they prefer flatter flowers they can perch on while they feed.

The no-fail plant for butterflies is the Butterfly Bush, or Buddleja. However, since they can get too large for some gardens, consider the Petite series of Dwarf Butterfly Bushes. Petite Indigo has a profusion of lilac-blue flowers; Petite Plum sports reddish-purple blooms and the Petite Snow has pure white blossoms.

Lilacs are favorites of butterflies, but don’t typically flower well in climates with warmer winters. The Blue Skies Lilac produces huge clusters of light lavender-blue flowers that don’t require winter chilling.

Butterflies love Coneflowers, such as the bright pink Pixie Meadowbrite. Asters are great because they bloom well into fall. The new Farmington Aster has a profusion of lilac bloom clusters that butterflies flock to.

Supply a source of water. Hummingbirds enjoy flying through a fine mist, which cools them off. Butterflies like drinking from shallow puddles. Position some large flat rocks in a sunny spot, on which butterflies can sun themselves to warm their wings.

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney

Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

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Author: Steve Peek

Hummingbirds notoriously have a high wing-beat rate, and it is its fast wing-beat rate that generates the hum for which the hummingbird is named.

High Metabolism Rate

The largest of hummingbirds, the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), grow to be about 24g and have an average wing-beat rate of 8-10 beats per second.

Mid-sized hummingbirds, the Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), grow to weigh about 3g and beat their wings at a rate of 20-25 beats per second.

The smallest species of hummingbirds, the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), only grow to approximately 1.8g, and yet they beat their wings at about 70 beats per second.

One might wonder how a hummingbird could generate such an incredibly fast wing-beat rate, but this kind of metabolism is very similar to the energy derived by giving a three-year-old child a can of Mountain Dew to drink. The high sugar-intake taken by the child creates a situation where the child seems to bounce off the walls. Well, the same thing happens with the hummingbird too.

Each day, hummingbirds of all species consume more than the equivalent of their own body weight in nectar, which has an average sugar content of 25%. This high daily sugar-intake results in an extremely high metabolism rate for these tiny birds – the highest in all of the animal kingdom.

According to a 2001 book, “The Birds of Ecuador volume 2 – Field Guide”, written by Robert S. Ridgely and Paul G. Greenfield, a hummingbirds’ heart beat has been measured as high as 1260 beats per minute!

Interestingly, other organisms that metabolize at a rate equal to the hummingbird typically have a very short-lifespan. But, hummingbirds have lived in captivity for up to 17 years.

Flower Pollination

It has been estimated that the average hummingbird will visit 100 flowers per day, pollinating many flowers as they go. But with most flower species, the hummingbird has to compete directly with bees and wasps for access to the nectar.

Interestingly, bees and hummingbirds tend to avoid flowers that have a sugar-ratio in the range of 15%, which is average for most flowers. Instead, bees and hummingbirds tend to only pollinate flowers that have the higher 25% sugar content in the nectar.

Most of the flowers that hummingbirds pollinate are red, bright pink and orange in color. An interesting twist in this story is that hummingbirds can view wavelengths into the near ultra-violet. Insect-pollinated flowers tend to reflect certain wavelengths, which tip off the insects that those flowers are inviting the insects to visit. But the flower species that hummingbirds typically pollinate do not reflect the same wavelengths as other flower species do, which in effects makes those flowers invisible to passing insects.

Of course, while the hummingbirds need to visit flowers to obtain the sugars they need to properly metabolize energy for flight, nectar does not provide enough nutrients to ensure good health. Hummingbirds meet their dietary needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when they are feeding young.

Range of the Species

Until recently, it was believed that hummingbirds were strictly an American bird, ranging from Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. But in 2004, Dr. Gerald Mayr, a paleornithologist at the famed Senckenberg museum in Germany, found a 30-million year old hummingbird fossil that had been unearthed in a dig near Heidelberg, Germany.

The majority of the 325-340 species of hummingbirds reside in warm tropical areas of Central and South America. But those species that can be found on the southern tip of South America and those species that take up residence in North America are typically migratory birds.

While hummingbirds are typically at rest, except when feeding, hummingbirds are known to cross great bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico. That is the reason why many hummingbird species can also be found in many Caribbean islands.

Common North American Species

Although 17 hummingbird species have been known to nest in North America, only a few are considered common. Most frequently seen in North America are the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Black-chinned Hummingbird, the Rufous Hummingbird, the Anna’s Hummingbird, the Broad-tailed hummingbird, and the Calliope hummingbird.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is most frequently found east of the Mississippi River. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is most often found in the western United States.

The Rufous Hummingbird is found most often in the Northwest all the way to Alaska. The Anna’s Hummingbird is common from southern California to southern Arizona and north to southwestern British Columbia.

The Broad-tailed hummingbird is common in the spring and summer in higher elevations from Arizona north to the Canadian border. And the Calliope hummingbird is found through-out the west except for the Southwest and the Pacific Coast.

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

In order to attract hummingbirds to your garden you must provide them the nectar producing flowers that they desire. There are quite a variety of blooming plants and you will want ones specific to where you live so do a little research for “hummingbird flowers” in your area and most likely your local nursery will offer them. As a final touch add a couple of pretty hummingbird feeders and you are set.

Interestingly, the combination of people planting winter flower gardens and providing hummingbird feeders has encouraged more hummingbirds to make North America their year-around homes in the temperate areas along the Gulf and Pacific coasts.

You will want to be very selective when picking a hummingbird feeder as many models simply do not do this beautiful bird justice. The fact is that many hummingbird feeders force the hummingbirds to compete with bees, wasps, ants, orioles, woodpeckers, and other animals for access to the sugar water. Bees, wasps and ants can get trapped in some types of feeders and die inside which of course ruins the nectar.

Protecting the Health of Your Hummingbirds

Studies have shown the best formula for sugar water to be one cup of “white granulated sugar only” to four cups of water, mixed and placed into the feeder. The feeder should be emptied and washed with dish soap and hot water at least once per week, to prevent harmful bacteria build-up or soured sugar water.

For the health of your neighborhood hummingbirds, you should never use any raw sugars, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, or any additives in your sugar water mix. All contain other elements that will be to the detriment of any hummingbirds consuming these products.

Commercial “hummingbird food” products have not been studied at length, but early studies with laboratory animals indicate that preservatives, artificial flavors, and food coloring cause disease and premature mortality, when it is consumed in large amounts. So, it is strongly recommended that you do not add red food coloring to your sugar water mix.

Scientists also recommend that you do not need to buy any “hummingbird food” that has “additional nutrients” in it, because hummingbirds get all of the nutrients that they need in the insects that they eat.

Selecting a Good Hummingbird Feeder

There are a number of companies providing hummingbird feeders in the marketplace. But for the benefit of your neighborhood birds, you should try to keep an eye to finding a feeder that has certain features and benefits.

Remember, your local birds are competing with bees, wasps and ants for access to the food in your feeder. So, it is advantageous when you can find a feeder that is designed to restrict these insects from gaining access to the sugar water mix.

Most feeders have some red or orange colorations, because these colors attract hummingbirds. But, make sure that the feeders you buy do not have any yellow parts on the feeder itself, because bees are attracted to the color yellow. Even if you can block the bees from gaining access to the feeder, the yellow will attract the bees to the feeder, and the bees will frequently drive away the hummingbirds.

Make sure that any feeder you own does not leak sugar water onto the ground or the outside of the unit, because once again, you should desire to keep bees, wasps and other pests away from your feeders.

The point of a feeder is to attract the right kind of visitors, not the wrong kinds. If your hummingbird feeder attracts the wrong kind of visitor, the birds will have their feeding experience ruined, and you may be finding yourself wrestling with too many pests in your environment too.

About the Author:

Steve Peek is an ardent nature lover and a tinkerer. This combination has resulted in a unique, hand-crafted hummingbird feeder designed to ensure that bees and wasps do not ruin your hummingbird watching experience. Learn more about hummingbirds and our hummingbird feeder at our website: http://www.thehummingbirdstore.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Tips for Turning Your Backyard Into a Hummingbird Habitat