Month: June 2008

Hummingbird Trivia

I am continually looking for new and interesting information about hummingbirds. No matter how often or where I look for this information, I’m always finding and learning things about the hummingbird that I never knew before. The information listed below is an example of this. I hope you will find this information fascinating, informative and even educational.
 
  • The first commercial hummingbird feeder was invented in 1929 and offered for sale in 1950.
  • The oldest known hummingbird was a female broad-tail, banded twice, 12 years apart
  • A major food source of the hummingbird’s diet is small insects and spiders, up to 500 per day.
  • Hummingbird wings beat 50 to 60 times a second in normal flight.
 
I hope you will enjoy these trivia facts about hummingbirds. Let me know if you have any interesting facts about hummingbirds that you would like to share with others. 
 
Categories
Hummingbirds

The Lucifer Hummingbird

The name Lucifer means “light bearer.Lucifer is also the name of the archangel who fell from heaven.

The bill of this hummingbird is quite distinctive among other species of hummingbirds, because of the fact that its bill is so long and it curves down sharply at the tip. The distinctive bill is believed to be an natural adaptation which helps bird collect insects from flowers.

A study of one territorial male showed how the bird spent an hour of time.The vast majority of his time, 41 minutes, was spent perched. The bird only spent 4 minutes feeding. Each feeding was very brief, lasting only 12 seconds in length. I found this quite amazing, because most hummingbirds will usually visit between 1000-2000 flowers per day.The final 15 minutes of the hour was spent by the male chasing away intruders.

The Lucifer hummingbird lives in open desert areas where its favorite plant is the agave. Whenever this plant is in bloom, it is an abundant source of nectar as well as insects. During the mating season, the male Lucifer will often make its territory among two or three agave plants. The female Lucifer will often make her nest on this plant as well.

In the U.S., the breeding season for this species of hummingbird is May to August. Their breeding range is very small, southeastern Arizona and western Texas.Their non-breeding range is central Mexico. These birds migrate northward in April and May and southward in September.

Categories
Hummingbird Videos

Hummingbird Nest Documentary

This video is a documentary of hummingbirds from the time the eggs are layed until the young birds leave the nest.  Since many people never get to view a hummingbird up close, I thought you might enjoy watching the whole process take place on the video.  I know I really enjoyed it and was amazed by the whole process.  Enjoy!

How Much Do Hummingbirds Weigh?

We all know that hummingbirds are tiny, but have you ever considered just how tiny they really are?  Have you ever wondered how much do hummingbirds weigh? The answer to this question depends on which species of hummingbird to which you are referring. The smallest hummingbird is the bee hummingbird which only weighs a little less than two grams. The largest hummingbird is known as the giant hummingbird and it weighs between 21 and 23 grams. According to hummingbird expert Laura Erickson, you could mail nine or ten hummingbirds with a single stamp! This should help give you some idea just how extremely tiny hummingbirds are.
Categories
Hummingbird Food

Flowers, Shrubs, Vines and Trees That Will Attract Hummingbirds

The following is a list of flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees to which hummingbirds are attracted. None of these need to be red in color, although the color red is attractive to hummingbirds. If in doubt as to whether any of the following will flourish in your area, please check with your local nursery.
 
Flowers
Cardinal Flower
Lantana
Columbine Aquilegia
Fuchsias Fuchsia
Impatiens
Coral-Bells Heuchera sanguinea
Hollyhocks Althea
Penstemen
Petunia
Flowering Tobacco
Geranium Pelargonium
Begonia
 
Shrubs
Azaleas Rhododendron
Butterfly Bush Buddleia
Flowering Quince Chaenomeles japonica
Honeysuckle
 
 
Trees
Tulip Poplar Liriodendron Tulipifera
Locust Robinia
Eucalyptus
Vines Honeysuckle
Morning Glory
Trumpet Creeper
Trumpet Honeysuckle
 
If you are interested in a natural way to attract hummingbirds to your yard, then this list should offer you a wide variety of flowers, shrubs, vines and trees from which to choose. These flowers, trees, vines and shrubs will help to beautify your yard as well as helping to attract the hummingbirds. As a result, your yard will quickly become the envy of all your neighbors. So, why not plant some of these suggestions in your yard? You will be glad you did and so will the hummingbirds.