August Hummingbirds

Some clips I shot a few years ago with my Fuji S5000 camera of predominately female and immature Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. I never put red food coloring into the sugar solution anymore. The hummingbirds find the feeders just fine without it. Lately I’ve begun using an actinic (brown) glass hummingbird feeder. It is easier to clean. My website has more extensive photos, info, and links to other sites. home.centurytel.net
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Our guest author offers some really helpful hummingbird feeder tips. What got my attention, though, are the interesting hummingbird facts. Check it out – you’ll see what I mean…

Glass Hummingbird Feeder... Courtesy of TheHummingbirdStore.com

Hummingbird Feeders ? Important ?must Know? Facts About Hummingbirds

Before you create a hummingbird habitat in your backyard, there are several important things you must know, and do, to attract these beautiful creatures and to protect them. The selection of a good hummingbird feeder, placement of the feeder, maintenance of the hummingbird feeder and choice of food can be critical, both to your enjoyment of the hummingbirds and to their survival. I will cover each of these points, but first, allow me to give you a little information about the hummingbirds themselves.

How many types of hummingbirds are there?

There are more than 10,000 species of birds in the world. About 925 of those species have been counted in the U. S. and Canada. Of all the birds living in our part of the world, few are as interesting, as fascinating, or as beautiful as the hummingbird. There are 16 species of hummingbirds breeding regularly in the United States and another half dozen Mexican or Caribbean species that have been reported here.

A typical North American hummingbird like the Rufous hummingbird measures between 3.5 to 4 inches and weighs in at about 3 grams (1/10 of an ounce). This makes him/her a heavyweight compared to the Bee hummingbird which is typically 2 inches long and normally weighs 1.8 grams (6/100 of an ounce). The Bee hummingbird is frequently mistaken for an insect by casual viewers.

How much do hummingbirds eat?

What is not small about hummingbirds is their appetite. Hummingbirds consume between 3 1/8 and 7 ½ calories a day. To put it into human terms, that equates to roughly 155,000 calories per day. Just imagine pulling up to the drive-in window at McDonalds and ordering 278 Big Macs just to get you through the day.

Hummingbirds require this awesome intake of food because of their metabolism. The Ruby throated hummingbird, for example, is about 3 ½ inches long and weighs 1/8 of an ounce. His body temperature ranges between 105 degrees and 108 degrees, F. In flight, his wings beat an average of 52 times per second. His respiration is 250 breaths per minute and his heart rate is an incredible 1200 beats a minute when he is feeding. Hummingbird’s lives are spent on the very edge of survival. One day of bad weather or difficulty finding food can mean the end for them.

How important is your hummingbird feeder?

With this information in mind you can see how important your backyard hummingbird feeder can be. The growth of cities and urban development is constantly reducing the hummingbird’s natural habitat. A well designed, well placed feeder improves their chances of survival and provides you with countless hours of entertainment.

As small and fragile as hummingbirds are, they have surprisingly long life spans. Many hummingbirds do not survive their first year, but those that do, live an average of 3 to 4 years. One female broadtailed hummingbird was tagged, released, and recaptured 12 years later. A Rufous hummingbird was banded and reported alive after 8 years and 1 month. As these migratory birds tend to return year after year, they will soon become old friends.

Steve Peek is an ardent nature lover and a tinkerer. This combination has resulted in a unique hummingbird feeder design ensuring that bees do not ruin your hummingbird watching experience. Learn more about hummingbirds and our hummingbird feeder at our website.

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The article mentions the Rufous hummingbird, Ruby-throated hummingbird, and the Broad-tailed hummingbird… visit NameThatHummingbird.com to see pictures of them, and learn more about them. The tiniest bird in the world was also mentioned… read more about the amazing Bee hummingbird.

Some good hummingbird facts, right? And what about that beautiful glass hummingbird feeder?

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Hummingbird Feeders

Not only does this guest article offer terrific hummingbird nectar recipes and instructions, it also explains the best time for you to set out your hummingbird feeders.

Lots of easy-to-understand information here…  

Hummingbirds — Helpful Facts and Feeding Tips
For many of us winter is winding down and we are anxiously awaiting  nature  to gear up with the coming of the spring season.  If you are interested in providing a warm welcome for some of the earliest migratory birds, I have some interesting tips and facts for you!  Hummingbirds are among the earliest birds to migrate north from South America.  They will sometimes arrive in their summer feeding grounds before nectar plants like azaleas have a chance to bloom.  That’s why it is a good idea to hang your Hummingbird Feeders just as winter winds down.  You may attract the earliest travelers and help to keep them nourished until springtime plants are in bloom.  

If you’re wondering which Hummingbird Nectar Recipe to use and are confused about which one is best for Hummingbirds then the following information should be very helpful.  As you may have discovered there are many nectar recipes out there, but the one most closely resembling nectar produced by many flowers attractive to Hummingbirds contains only 1 Part White Granulated Sugar (refined) and 4 Parts Water.  To create the nectar boil the mixture until it dissolves, let it cool, and pour into your Hummingbird feeders.

The excess can be stored for a day or two in the refrigerator.  Honey, brown sugar, and artificial sweeteners or coloring are NOT suitable for Hummingbirds.  These ingredients can actually cause toxicity and lack of nutrients. Regular white table sugar is much better than raw unrefined sugar because it is almost pure sucrose which is the most common sugar found in flower nectar.  Nearly all of our commercially available sugar is produced from crushed sugar cane or sugar beets. During the refining process liquid is separated from the plants and used to make molasses.  The process to refine raw sugar also removes impurities or contaminants which either originate in the plant or come from harvesting.  Any trace minerals or nutrients that may be present in unrefined sugar are not beneficial to Hummingbirds. 

The impurities in unrefined sugar may cause faster spoilage and fermentation of the nectar solution possibly resulting in illness or death to the Hummingbird.  Unrefined sugar may also contain higher levels of iron than white sugar which can poison Hummingbirds because they are unable to metabolize large amounts.  Nutrients such as proteins will come from eating insects, not from natural or artificial nectar.   So, please keep to the basics and don’t try to substitute ingredients when making your homemade nectar.

The early arrivers are also susceptible to low body temperatures which can induce them into a sleep-like state known as torpor.  A Hummingbird cannot fly unless their body temperature is up to 68 degrees. This enables the Hummingbird to conserve energy in cold weather.  So, if for some reason one of these tiny birds gets stuck in your garage on a cold night it may welcome your warm hands until its body temperature is raised back to a normal level.  It may even feed in your palm with some of your homemade nectar until it can fly again! 

The care and maintenance of your Hummingbird feeder is especially important when temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit.   The warmer weather can become a breeding ground for bacteria which is why nectar feeders should be cleaned thoroughly with boiling water and refilled with fresh nectar every 2 or 3 days.  A bristle covered bottle brush will help to clean all of the nooks and crannies.  If you are having trouble with tiny ants you can try smearing a drop of vegetable oil along the hanging wire of your Hummingbird Feeder, this is usually enough to dissuade the ants away.  Some feeders are designed with ant moats and specially tapered feeding holes.  These types of feeders can be half filled to deter bees because the specially tapered feeding holes are designed to stop the bees’ tongues from reaching far into the nectar.

If you follow these basic tips everyone will fully enjoy your Hummingbird feeders.  It will be great fun for you and all of the wonderful Hummingbirds which come to visit your backyard!

Visit Wild Bird Supplies Unlimited to find bird approved hummingbird feeders, birdhouses, and garden bird baths.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Jacobsen

If these hummingbird feeders tips are helpful or if you have some of your own, share with the rest of us hummingbird lovers.

Hummingbird at hummingbird feeders

Who knew hummingbird feeders were so complex!

I suppose they have to just to keep up with all the high-tech toys cluttering up our busy lives these days. The “high-tech” aspects of the really well designed hummingbird feeders address the needs of hummers as well as the “filler-upper” (you and me). For instance… eliminate competition from ants, bees, and wasps; provide secure, comfortable perches; be easy to clean; and accommodate as many hummers as you want to feed. I’d also add another feature: replaceable parts.

See if you agree…

World’s Best Hummingbird Feeder, 5 Critical Design Features!

The most critical designs on the world’s best hummingbird feeder will involve the human element. Unlike birdseed feeders, nectar feeders must be completely cleaned at a minimum of once per week. Hummingbirds are attracted to fresh liquid, nectar that most closely resembles the natural nectar flowers provide. Unused nectar quickly turns to a molasses-type mixture that can not be easily removed.

The world’s best hummingbird feeders are designed with humans in mind, as well as hummingbirds. If a feeder is too complex or impossible to come apart, most people will not clean it properly. Adding fresh nectar to remnants of old nectar will create a spoiled mix for hummingbirds to drink. These small birds can immediately taste the stale nectar and will leave your feeders alone.

There are two standard types of hummingbird feeders, gravity fed and dish. Gravity fed hummingbird feeders consist of a chamber above a feeding base. You fill the chamber with fresh nectar and then attach a base that contains feeding ports. As the hummingbirds drink from the base, gravity from the chamber above constantly fills the base. The most critical part to clean will be the base. If you can not disassemble it, there are specially fitted brushes designed to get into the tiny feeding holes to remove all traces of old nectar. The world’s best hummingbird feeders have bases designed to come apart for easier cleaning.

Dish-style hummingbird feeders are flat with no chamber above. The hummingbirds feed directly from the base, or dish, where the nectar is stored. These styles usually consist of two pieces that are easily disassembled for complete access to the old nectar.

When you shop for the world’s best hummingbird feeder, here are some insider’s tips:

1.) Bee Guards & Ant Moats

Bees and ants are attracted to the same sugar-water mixture as hummingbirds, creating a nuisance to feeding birds. In fact, when ants craw into the nectar and die, they release formic acid, fouling the solution. Hummingbirds will taste this and leave your feeder. Stop ants by putting a barrier, such as a water filled moat, between the ants and nectar. Bees and wasps have short mouthparts, so bee guards over the end of the feeding holes interfere with their reach. The world’s best hummingbird feeders incorporate these important design elements.

2.) Capacity

Choose a feeder that matches the number of hummingbirds available to feed in your area. In New England, it is more appropriate to have many, small capacity feeders than one large feeder. East of the Mississippi River, there is only one kind of hummingbird, the ruby-throated. This bird is extremely territorial and will refuse a spot on a feeder for any other ruby-throated, even it’s mate. Don’t forget, no matter where you live, you must empty and clean your nectar feeders at least once per week, more often in hotter climates. Reduce waste and save time by only purchasing the world’s best hummingbird feeder made for your region.

3.) Perches

Hummingbirds are so acrobatic they can eat on the fly. A perch is not required in order to dine. However, a perch may offer an incentive to hang around for a little while. The world’s best hummingbird feeder will allow birds to rest while eating.

4.) Cleaning

Hummingbird feeders are usually made of plastic or a combination of glass and plastic, the variable being the nectar container. Glass containers are more durable and scratch resistant, but plastic won’t shatter if it hits the floor. You will be doing lots of filling and cleaning, so make sure you can take the feeder apart easily to reach all parts to scrub thoroughly. Hummers do not find dirty feeders appealing, and old nectar can be dangerous to their health. 

5.) Solution

Fill the feeder with a solution of one part sugar to four parts of water, a ratio that approximates the sugar content in many flowers favored by hummingbirds. Never use honey or artificial sweeteners in place of sugar. It is not necessary to add red food coloring because there is sufficient red on most feeders to attract the birds’ attention. Place different hummingbird feeders out of view of each other, increasing your odds of more birds.

Our world’s best hummingbird feeder has consistently outsold any other brand of nectar feeder 10:1. Nothing else even comes close. Once you own it, you’ll never go back to your old style of hummingbird feeder. If you can not find a hummingbird feeder with the 5 simple design elements described above, you can visit http://www.wildbirddepot.com from the comfort your home. 

Our world’s best hummingbird feeder has consistently outsold any other brand of nectar feeder 10:1. Nothing else even comes close. Once you own it, you’ll never go back to your old style of hummingbird feeder. If you can not find a hummingbird feeder with the 5 simple design elements described above, you can visit http://www.wildbirddepot.com from the comfort your home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_P._White

 Granted, the article was a bit commercial… but it still made some good points. Have any of you had any experience with hummingbird feeders like this?

I can’t wait to try it this year!

Hand feeding Hummingbirds – Ketchikan Alaska Tours

Feed them yourselves! www.alaskadiscoverytours.com. A hand fed Hummingbird video that is amazing. Taming the Alaskan hummingbird. These hummingbirds were filmed at our lodge in Alaska, no feeder required! Our lodge in Alaska has TONS of these little …

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hand-feeding a hummingbird through my bedroom window

Using “How To Hand-Feed Hummingbirds Volume-2, from the “A Bird In The Hand” video series, I was able to teach three Hummingbirds to feed out of my hand through my bedroom window….and it only took a couple of hours! See a complete line of hand-feed…

If any of you have tips for feeding hummingbirds from your hand, please share them with the rest of us in the comments below.