Hummingbirds are beautiful gems and wonderfully fun to have as a guest in your yard. If you are lucky, you may even have one raise a baby in your yard. Hummingbirds are normally a creature of habit. They travel along the same routs, and have their favorite stops. However, they are inquisitive, and will search out new food sources if their old ones dry up. Many people have commented about how a hummingbird shows up in the spring to the place where the feeder was hanging last year...waiting for dinner. They run inside, get it ready, and put it out. Within seconds the grateful little bird comes back for a snack.
Besides planting a garden that will provide nectar for the hummingbirds, there are several other ways to attract them. A popular way is the red nectar feeders sold at most hardware and discount stores.
The first step would be to put out a nectar feeder. Most are under $10, but you can also find some very pretty hand blown glass for close to $40. You may have an opinion, but the hummingbirds don't really care, other than they are attracted by the red.
As for the nectar, you can buy it from a store or specialty on-line retailer. You can also save a lot of money and make your own...and it is very easy! To make your own nectar, dissolve one part sugar to four parts boiling water. Stir to make sure all of the sugar dissolves. Also, make sure the mixture is at room temperature before serving to your little hummers. If you make too much, you can store this in your refrigerator for up to a week.
There are a couple DON'TS you need to keep in mind. Don't use honey. Don't add food coloring. And don't use artificial sweetners, or anything artificial for that matter. Any of these can be harmful for your little birds.
Pick a location that is mostly shady. Many people will place hanging baskets near the feeders to entice the little ones even more. If you choose too sunny of a location, it will heat up the bottle, and it tends to leak more. When the feeders leak, it attracts ants by the millions. If you do have a leak, use your water hose to dilute the leak, as to not attract scavengers.
If you see a lot of ants crawling to your feeder, you can purchase or make baffels to prevent it. I have also heard of putting vaseline on the line coming to the feeder.
Cleaning is an important step in keeping your little hummers healthy. Clean your feeders with warm water and a little soap once a week. Sugar water tends to be a perfect place for bacteria to grow.
Facts about Hummingbirds
- They can not fly until their body temperature reaches 86 degrees.
- Hummingbirds are loners, they do not migrate in flocks.
- Hummingbirds love mist.
- An average hummingbird is about 2 inches in diameter.
- Male hummingbirds do not help raise their young.
- Their eggs are about the size of jelly bellies.
- Hummingbirds take 250 breaths per minute.
- They have approximately 1,500 feathers.
- Hummingbirds can fly upside down and backwards. Their wings make a figure eight pattern which allows them to fly in all directions.
- They are only found in the Americas.
- Their wings beat approximately 1,260 beats per minute.
- The smallest hummingbird weighs less than 2 ounces. The largest is 21-23 grams.
- Their diet is 90% nectar, the rest is insects.
- A hummingbird can starve to death in less than 2 hours if it is active. This is why it is so important to rescue them quickly if they get trapped inside.
- Hummingbirds are very territorial about their food.
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