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.

You could give them a book, of course. But if you know someone who would like to attract hummingbirds, you could give them something special to attract hummingbirds to them. Give them a plant gift like beautifully scented white viburnum or a gorgeous Korean lilac tree.

Of course, hummingbirds are native only to the Americas. But even outside the Americas, the exquisite tube-shaped flowers of viburnum or lilac are still great for attracting butterflies.

Plants make beautiful, showy gifts. Even if your offering never makes it outdoors, the recipient will love your thoughtfulness and enjoy the life and beauty that plants bring to the indoors.

You can purchase a plant online and have it delivered with a money-back guarantee. As the holidays approach, the idea of not having to brave the crowds or the inclement weather looks more and more appealing. Just order a plant on line.

Of course, there is a wonderful selection of plants to order on line. I like the high quality and lovely selection at SerenataPlants.com, where you can find house plants, topiary, flowering plants, palms, trees, and even topiary frames in whimsical shapes.

At this time of year, when everyone scurries around seeking last-minute (often ill-chosen) gifts, here is an easy way to make a good impression and give pleasure that lasts for months or years. Beautiful plants can really brighten people’s lives, especially during the dark days of winter.

If you are not sure that the recipient will know how to care for the plant you are sending them, you can send them a link to this plant care guide or even download and print it to mail to them.

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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Firstly it depends upon having wild birds in the general area where your house is located and then you can attract then to your backyard. The method used to attract the birds will depend upon what is the diet of the bird.

If the bird is a nectar feeder e.g. bananaquits or hummingbirds, then large flowering plants will attract them. Hummingbird bills are perfectly adapted to the various types of flowers that they feed on, so different types of flowers will attract different hummingbirds.

Some hummingbirds have especially curved or elongated bills that allow them to feed on special flowers, eg the White-tipped Sicklebill hummingbird whose downward curving bill allows it to draw nectar from heliconias. The Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird has a short and slightly decurved bill that is suited to feeding on the flowers of the ixora shrub.

The Blue-tailed Emerald has a short bill that is suited for feeding on the Hibiscus flower. The Copper-rumped Hummingbird has a straight long bill that allows it to feed on medium sized tube shaped flowers such as the allamanda.

Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell, so colour is important to a hummingbird’s search process for locating flowers containing nectar. While they will visit any flower that has sufficient nectar they prefer flowers that are red to orange in colour. It is believed that this colour preference is due to the fact that red flowers standout in a green background and so are more easily seen by the hummingbird.

It is also believed that because hummingbirds compete with insects for nectar they choose flowers that are less likely to be visited by insects. Most insects do not see well at the red end of the colour spectrum and so may not visit red flowers while hummingbirds see the full visible spectrum.

If space in your yard is very limited, preventing you from having large flowering shrubs, an area to consider is the curb area between your property line and the roadway. You can plant small flowering shrubs such as the miniature ixora, which will then attract nectar feeding birds to your property.

For birds that are fruit eaters, the presence of ripe fruit will attract and so having fruit trees will attract birds. The majority of trees however only fruit once per year for a few months, so the attraction is not year round. If your garden has sufficient space then multiple fruit trees that bear at different times in the year will ensure a continuous bird presence.

One tree that bears fruit for a very extended period is guava and so can attract birds for most of the year. Trees are also an attraction to birds because they provide nesting and resting sites. If you have the palm trees that people usually plant in from their houses that will generally attract Palm Tanagers who will feed on the small nuts, use material from the tree for building their nests and may also nest in the tree.

When a large number of flowering shrubs and/or fruit trees is not an option, you can consider purchasing a bird feeder. The type of feeder will also be dependent upon the type of birds in the area and the type of birds that you want to attract. For nectar feeders you use a sugar solution (the feeder usually has directions).

You must put the feeder in a location where the birds will see it and you must change the solution regularly (2 -3 days). Red Feeders are good for attracting hummingbirds because they have a preference for red flowers. If you use a feeder it will take a few days for the birds to recognise that it is present in your yard.

Other feed can attract other types of birds. Bare-Eyed Thrushes and Kiskadees are somewhat omnivorous and so you can use rice (not boiled). I have found that they will also be attracted by dog food. Tropical Mockingbirds can also be attracted with rice. In addition, ripe fruit such bananas, mangoes and cherry can be used and will usually attract Blue-Gray Tanagers, Palm Tanagers and Yellow Orioles.

As an alternative to purchasing a feeder you can construct a feeder. For fruits you can build a simple chicken wire basket or bamboo joint to hold the fruit and attach it to the fence. Another low cost feeder can be constructed using a plastic bowl with a narrow edge. To construct this feeder you punch three holes, equidistant around the bowl.

Then attach wire strands through each hole with the strands coming together at the top to form either a hook or a loop for suspending the bowl. Three strands are required to provide stability to the bowl particularly when birds alight on the bowl to feed. It is necessary to punch several holes in the base of the bowl to allow any rainwater or liquids to drain out the bowl.

Attracting birds, apart from the visual delight also provides the benefit of controlling the insect population, as many birds are insect feeders.

Brian Ramsey is an avid birdwatcher and amateur photographer and is the author of the CD, Discovering the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, which can be previewed at the site, www.birdsoftt.com. He can be contacted at webmaster@birdsoftt.com
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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”.

Sandy Sandy ~ art that has spirit!

Visit my websites, check out my art, philosophy and writing and sign up for my mailing list!

http://www.spiritart.us

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My name is Sandy Sandy and I am a watercolor artist and author and have been painting full time since 1996. I love animals and nature and strive to portray the essence and spirit of my subjects in my work! And YES, Sandra Sandy is my real maiden name.
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GREEN VIOLET-EAR -- FINCA LERIDA, BOQUETE, PANAMA. Image via Wikipedia

It’s spring at last, and here in Southern Colorado, it appears we’ve been waiting a extensive time to glimpse our favored wild chook, the hummingbird. We just enjoy viewing these small, lithe creatures of this kind of vivid colour outdoors our window.

There have been a couple summers right here that we’ve had twenty distinct hummingbirds at our three feeders. We acquired to refill them each and every day just to retain up!

We’re fortunate to have quite beneficial soil in our garden, whereas most of this component of the country is poor, rocky soil. This can make rising perennials much easier and much more bountiful. I say simpler mainly because we are in a excessive-desert local weather and ought to water supply always to continue to keep items green.

People two items: specific flowers, and operating the sprinkler system assist entice the hummingbirds to our garden. With their specially created beaks and prolonged tongues, they just really like the flowers suited to their anatomy. Our columbines, torch lilies and butterfly bushes are like giant billboards advertising a hummingbird-pleasant play land.

We’ve attempted to plant perennials that bloom at distinctive periods all through the summer time so that we constantly have one thing to appeal to the hummingbirds. What a distinction it has built. We normally get to take pleasure in the hummingbirds at least a full month earlier than they find out our next door neighbors garden.

Even while you may well not need to run a sprinkler in the summer season months like we have to, you can install a fountain or chook bath that will appeal to just as quite a few hummingbirds. They enjoy the splash and spray of the standard water and we’ve noticed them lots of moments hovering and dipping through the nearby river in which the normal water hits the rocks and sprays up.

Other than the flowers and water supply, we offer our hummingbirds feeders stuffed with sugar mineral water. There is no need to invest in blend for use in the feeders as it is simpler and less expensive to make your own personal. Here’s the bird food recipe:

-A single element glucose

-4 components h2o

-Boil for 2 mins

-Awesome and fill feeders manufactured for hummingbirds

There is no require to add food stuff coloring to the natural bird food and it may well basically be detrimental to the birds. Why take the likelihood?

A minor trick we’ve discovered more than the a long time is to placed a brief piece of transparent tape approximately the stem that holds the bee guard in site. That way it retains the more substantial, even more aggressive birds like the Orioles from pulling out the bee guard and guzzling the foodstuff.

We’ve used numerous various styles of feeders and discovered that the birds like the ones with tough plastic “flowers”‘ surrounding the bee guards. We’ve not obtained a lot luck with the drip-variety feeders.

Be positive to rinse the feeders properly with pretty warm mineral water among use. It is not proposed to decide to put any piece of a hummingbird feeder in the dishwasher or use detergent. To make certain the feeders are flawlessly clean prior to storing for the winter, we use a small bit of chlorine bleach and drinking water. You ought to be guaranteed to rinse the feeders extremely nicely if you do will need to use bleach.

So if you’re wanting to catch the attention of beautiful hummingbirds to your property, recall the flowers, the water and some food stuff. You’ll soon have your personal flock of hummingbirds who return to your backyard each and every 12 months!

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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: 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