Month: June 2008

Here are some general principles concerning injured hummingbirds which you should know. This information is provided by the Hummingbird Society. 

 

Hummingbirds fed on a diet of sugar-water alone will die, and full-nutrition formula for them is not available to the general public. You must seek competent, licensed help to assure a bird’s survival, and you must do it quickly.

 

It is illegal, a felony offense in the U.S., to keep a hummingbird in captivity, and it is also illegal to have possession of a nest or any part of the bird (such as a feather). As a result, the hummingbird should be transferred to a rehabilitator.

 

Mother hummingbirds rarely abandon a nest, although it can and does happen. Never assume that abandonment has occurred. To be certain whether this has occurred or not, you must watch continuously for at least an hour, sometimes more, to be sure she is not returning. In general, if the chicks look healthy, the mother is taking good care of them. Feedings can be extremely quick and surprisingly infrequent in some stages of the chick’s development.

 

While it is not very likely that you will encounter an injured hummingbird, I hope that you will find this information useful in the event that you should ever need it. If you have ever encountered an injured hummingbird, please share your story with us.

The male Buff-bellied hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird with iridescent green upperparts, head, throat, and upper breast, and buff lower breast and belly. Its slightly forked tail is dark chestnut-brown with cinnamon-brown undertail coverts. The bill has a slight downward curve and is red with a black tip.

 

This hummingbird is common in southeast Texas and Mexico. The preferred habitats for this bird include open woodlands, scrubs, and citrus groves.

 

The female is the one who is responsible for building the nest and is completely responsible raising the young. The female is responsible for incubation of the eggs, which takes about 14 days. Two white eggs are laid in a nest made of plant fibers, fine stems, shreds of bark, and spider webs, lined with plant down, and covered outside with lichens and flower petals.

 

The Buff-bellied male hummingbird is similar to Rufous hummingbird. The Rufous hummingbird has a straight black bill and lacks green head and breast.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed discovering these basic facts about the Buff-bellied hummingbird. Let me know what you think or any other comments you may have about this post.

Hummingbird migration occurs in both the spring and fall each year. Many people believe that some of the best hummingbird watching can occur during fall migration because the birds seem to pass through in more concentrated numbers. This doesn’t mean that the spring migration will be dull, just that you may see fewer hummingbirds. That will depend largely on what area of the country in which you live.

 

Contrary to what many people believe, keeping your feeders up and full will not keep the birds from migrating. Hummingbirds need lots of protein in their diets too and that doesn’t come from sugar feeders, but is gained when the birds eat insects! Shortened days, not lack of food, will tell the hummingbirds when to begin their journey. Hummingbird feeders should be left up at least three weeks after seeing your last bird. This will help migrating birds that pass through your area.

 

It is important to leave your feeders up and full. Migrating birds need all the quick and easy nourishment they can find to sustain the incredible energy demands of migration. It is vital that hummingbirds fatten up for their extended trips, particularly those crossing the Gulf of Mexico.

 

By the time fall migration comes, many hummingbirds are relying on worn-out feathers. They will begin to molt anytime from September to November, while out of view of most U.S. and Canada hummingbird watchers. Each feather will take several weeks to regain its size and shape.

 

Different hummingbird species migrate at different times and to different locations. By leaving your feeders up until you are absolutely sure the hummingbirds have left your area of the country, you will be providing these birds with a vital food source that will help sustain them so they can make their migration journey.

Have you ever thought about how a hummingbird’s senses compare with a human’s? The answer to this question depends on to which sense you are referring.    I hadn’t ever before considered this issue until doing some research on the Internet. The information I discovered turned out to be quite fascinating and I hope you enjoy it as well.   

 

Hummingbird vision is much greater then ours in many ways. Hummingbirds can see things at a farther distance, and are able to see a wider spectrum of colors than we can, into the ultraviolet range. They are especially attracted to the color red. A hummingbird reacts to sights much more quickly than we can.

 

A hummingbird’s hearing is more finely tuned than ours. It can hear higher-pitched sounds than we can, and can hear tiny differences in sound quality that our ears just simply can’t detect.

 

The hummingbird’s sense of touch is not as fine tuned as ours in some ways, although it can construct a nest with amazing accuracy relying partly on this sense. Hummingbirds probably cannot taste as many flavors as we can, though they apparently notice exactly how sweet nectar is, and prefer it very sweet. 

 

Hummingbirds do not have a sense of smell, as far as is known. They use their eyesight to help them locate nectar sources and to get insects out of the air or off leaves.

 

Both the hummingbird’s and man’s senses are truly amazing. Isn’t it just like God to provide us all exactly what we need to help ensure us the best chance for survival?