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Gardeners would probably put hummingbirds near the top of the list of wildlife they would like to attract to their backyards. Not only do the tiny birds complement the beauty of the flowers, they are fascinating to watch.
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Hummingbirds Will Return If You Provide Food R
uby-throated hummingbirds are the only hummingbirds to nest east of the Mississippi. In fact, you can find them in all states in the eastern half of the U.S. and all Canadian provinces except British Columbia. Plus, they are the only ones that normally migrate, non-stop, 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. This feat requires extra energy, which the birds obtain by storing fat, increasing their preflight weight by 50 percent. They winter in Mexico and Central America. Migration northward normally begins in February and the return in late July.
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maintaining our wildscapes and flower gardens pays off when we are able to attract hummingbirds and observe them. There are two ways to attract them to your property – plant flowers, shrubs, and trees that produce nectar over a long period of time, or put out sugar water feeders. The wildflowers that seem to attract the most hummingbirds are red or orange. They include blanket flower, butterfly weed, Indian blanket or paintbrush, red corn poppy, sweet William, swamp milkweed, wild columbine, and bee balm.
Because they are so active, hummingbirds have high calorie needs. Their rapid flight is similar to insects and unique to birds. Instead of having wings with several moveable joints, they have only one joint, at the shoulder. This permits them to fly with more flexibility, with their upstroke just as powerful as their down stroke. They can hover and fly forward and backward.
In the flower beds the favorites are begonia, cardinal flower, coral bells, dahlia, fuchsia, geranium, impatiens, foxglove, nasturtium, snapdragon, scarlet sage, petunia and verbena. Azalea, lilac, rhododendron, weigela, butterfly bush, and honeysuckle are their favorite shrubs. Flowering crabapple, hawthorn, and locust appear to be their favorite trees.
For many of us, the hard work that goes into creating and
But, without a doubt, trumpet vine is their favorite source for
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both nectar and insects. It produces reddish, tubular flowers that can be reached easily. Unlike butterflies, which normally take five seconds or more per blossom, the hummingbird is there for only a fraction of this time. As it hovers, it pushes its bill into the floral opening and sticks out its long tongue, folded like a tube. Nectar and insects are held in this “tube" and swallowed when the tongue is returned to the mouth. The hummingbird provides a service to the flowers by helping to pollinate them. You can get close to hummingbirds if you are patient and let the birds get used to you. First, sit 20 to 30 ft. away when they are feeding. Gradually move your chair closer to them, a few feet each day. You might be lucky enough to end up observing them at a distance of only a few feet.
food is in short supply. A single feeder can provide food for dozens of birds. The number of hummingbirds appears to be increasing wherever they have access to this supplemental food supply. But, the overall population is threatened by the destruction of rain forests where they winter in Mexico and Central America.
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Their wings beat up to 80 times a second in forward flight and 200 times in dives. Normal forward flight speed is 25 to 30 mph, but they can reach speeds of 50 mph. At night when they are not feeding, they slow their metabolism by reducing their
Maintaining Hummingbird Feeders You must maintain your feeder so it isn’t a health hazard for hummingbirds. We suggest the following: s
Feed sugar water – four parts water and one part sugar. When preparing the mix, dissolve the sugar by simply bringing it to a boil. Don’t let it boil, as it will make the mixture too sweet. Do not use anything other than sugar to sweeten.
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Don’t hang your feeder in direct sunlight, as it accelerates bacteria growth.
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Clean the feeder regularly – at least every few days. If the weather is hot the mixture can spoil, producing a life-threatening fungus.
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Don’t add red color to your mixture. Just make sure that some parts of your feeder are red.
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If you also want to attract orioles, make sure your feeder has perches.
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Take down your feeder when you’re sure all the birds have migrated and are no longer in your area. This is probably in September or October, depending on where you live.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute
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The typical nest is only 1-1/2 inches in diameter. It is made from plant down and is held together with spider webs. Nests are built on the tops of tree limbs, on vines, on hanging rope and sometimes on light fixtures. The nest is usually placed under some type of shelter.
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Hummingbirds usually lay two or three eggs which are so tiny they all would fit on a penny. Eggs hatch in 15 to 17 days. The birds stay in the nest about three weeks.
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The birds have few enemies. Males will take on other birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, and even people, in defending their nest and mates. Their fast speed and long, sharp bill makes them a formidable opponent. Their worst natural threats are extreme weather conditions such as cold, lengthy periods of rain, dry weather that dries up the flowers as a food source, and storms.
Did You Know. s Hummingbirds must feed every 10 minutes during the day. The birds also need protein, which they get from eating insects. They prefer red or orange flowers that produce lots of nectar over a long period of time.
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Sugar water feeders are a godsend, especially when natural
heartbeat from 1,260 beats per minute (21 beats per second) down to 50 beats per minute.
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WindStar Wildlife Institute is a national, non-profit, conservation organization whose mission is to help individuals and families establish or improve the wildlife habitat on their properties. For more information or for the name of a Master Wildlife Habitat Naturalist in your area, please contact: WindStar Wildlife Institute E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org http://www.windstar.org
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