Some people mistakenly believe that male and female hummingbirds form a pair bond and are therefore mated for life. This not true! In fact, male and female hummingbirds do not form a pair bond, and the birds only remain together for courtship and mating. The female hummingbird bares the sole responsibility for building the nests and caring for the young birds once they are born. After mating, the male has no further responsibilities toward reproduction. In a sense, it could be said that the male hummingbird is an example of nature’s the equivalent of a deadbeat father! Oh well, without this behavior it is likely that there would be far less hummingbirds born and the population would therefore be far less.
Month: July 2008
Many hummingbird enthusiasts have taken note of the apparent decline in the hummingbird population, but haven’t been able to explain the reasons for this. This post will offer some possible explanations for this.
The National Audubon Society has noted that the overall hummingbird population has been in a state of decline since 1996. According to the National Audubon Society, there are many possible reasons for this including the following: habitat loss, pesticides, changes in weather conditions and, in the Mexican wintering range, a susceptibility to natural disasters, diseases and changes in land use.
Another possible explanation is the wildfires that have been occurring in many areas of the country. The decreased air quality and the damage to the vegetation in the area have probably forced the birds to leave the area. This sad but it is reality. When it comes to selecting a food source, what is most important is the quantity and quality of the nectar which is available. If the quality of the nectar available in the area is no longer good then the hummingbirds will go wherever the nectar quality satisfies the hummingbird’s high standard. One can only hope that the damage to the environment because of the wildfires is only temporary and that in time the number of hummingbirds found in these areas will gradually begin to once again increase.
In southeast Texas, which is located 90-100 miles from Houston, I have noticed a decrease in the number of hummingbirds ever since this area experienced Hurricane Rita in 2005. This may have been caused changes in our local weather patterns or by damages to the hummingbird’s habitat. Also, many people in this area may have stopped putting out hummingbird feeders or they may have decreased the number of feeders which they put out. Hummingbirds are creatures of habit and have excellent memories, so they may not be visiting this area in the same volume as before the hurricane because they know the nectar supply is less plentiful.
There is no way to be certain as to the exact causes why the hummingbird population seems to be in a state of decline. Many people, including myself, certainly do miss the hummingbirds and would love to once again see their population increase.
Did you know that it typically takes a female hummingbird a little less than a week to construct the nest from start to finish? Or that the female hummingbird will average well over 100 trips per day while constructing the nest and they will work for about 4 hours per day? You will discover this and much more about the amazing nature of the hummingbird’s nest and what makes for the perfect nesting site.
The foundation of a hummingbird’s nest is made of spider webs because they are sticky in nature. The next layer consists of soft materials such as moss or leaf hairs. These initial layers form the shape the nest, and then more spider webs are added to the nest. Then a layer of camouflage is added to the nest and can consist of such things as seeds to small twigs. The camouflage of the nest is darker on shaded parts of the nest and lighter where it is sunnier. The walls of the nest are thicker on the windier side of the nest and the inside of the nest is shaped by the mother’s own body.
Whenever selecting a nest site, the female hummingbird has two very important priorities that determine her choice of a nest site: temperature and protection from the elements. The selected site must be a place where temperatures will stay below 96 degrees F, or the embryos will literally be fried due to the extreme exposure to the sun. For this reason, higher altitudes see more hummingbirds nesting in their areas. Many hummingbirds nesting sites are located near bodies of water. It is because of this that hummingbirds prefer to build near rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. Many species also choose to nest near a reliable food supply, so the birds are looking for there to be abundant blossoms in the area. At the same time, the nest will be protected from rainfall and direct sunlight, thus making it likely to be tucked away and difficult to spot.
Female hummingbirds check the strength of a prospective nest site by clinging to it or repeatedly landing on it. If the site passes the test, a female will begin to build. The nest will be built on the underside of a palm leaf, on the side of a vertical plant stem, on a small branch, on top of a cactus or many other different locations are used and different species have different preferences. Typically, hummingbirds usually build on branches, but the hermit hummingbirds build nests that hang from vegetation or from a vertical plant stem, root, or rock.
No matter what type of climate a hummingbird chooses to settle in, the mother must choose a location safe from the harmful effects of high winds. This is the best way to try and help ensure that the eggs don’t roll out of the nest because they are likely to break or be eaten. All of these issues factor into the choice of a nesting location.
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Injured or Orphaned Hummingbirds
Have you ever what to do if you find an injured or orphaned hummingbird on the ground? If so, this post is intended just for you. It offers tips as to how you should handle the situation. This advice is given cutesy of Project Wildlife and I have just put the information in my own words.
If you find an injured or orphaned hummingbird on the ground, lift it along with the material it is sitting on, and place it on crumpled tissue in a small box with holes in the lid.
The hummingbird should always be placed on tissue or paper towels. Do not use cloth. The reason for this is because the bird’s feet may become entangled in the cloth. You will also want to provide the bird with a low heat source, but be careful not to overheat the bird. The bird is too hot if it starts open-mouth breathing or its neck is outstretched, so be sure and watch for these warning signs.
Due to their extremely high metabolic rates, hummingbirds must eat frequently. A hummingbird will eat between 5-8 times per hour with each feeding lasting about 30 seconds in length. Hummingbirds can die within four hours if not fed. You will want to feed the adult hummingbirds a sugar water mixture of 1 part sugar to four parts water. Hummingbird babies can’t be fed sugar water or commercial hummingbird nectar for more than 24 hours because this may cause the young hummingbirds to develop crippling deformities.
If you need further information regarding injured hummingbirds, please call the Project Wildlife Hotline at 619-225-9202 to get more information. These people have the training and expertise to provide you with the exact information you may need.
There are two main types of hummingbird feeders the bottle or tube feeder and the saucer style hummingbird feeder. This post will discuss each of them. If you haven’t already purchased one or more hummingbird feeders for your yard, it is my hope that that this information will help you make a more informed purchase.
The bottle or tube type of hummingbird feeder is usually made of glass or plastic. This type of feeder often contains red plastic flowers and bee-guards which are little plastic screens that keep insects away from the sugar solution on the feeding ports. These types of feeders are very popular with hummingbirds because they simulate the tube shape of many nectar-bearing flowers. The main draw back to this type of feeder is that they tend to leak, because of the sun—the air that is trapped in the top of the bottle expands as it warms and pushes the nectar out.
It is important to note, there absolutely nothing wrong with this type of hummingbird feeder. I just want to point out that this type of feeder is more likely to leak, but that problem can be addressed. My goal is to try and provide you with as much accurate information as possible so you can make the most informed purchase possible.
Saucer-shaped hummingbird feeders are usually made of plastic. This type of hummingbird feeder has feeding ports in the top, making them bee-and wasp-proof. Saucer feeders are better than bottle feeders in direct sunlight, because it won’t leak.
If you enjoy watching hummingbirds, one of the easiest things that you can do to attract them to your yard is to use a hummingbird feeder. Don’t let all the various varieties of feeders that are available on the market today overwhelm you. Please use the information contained here to help you make a more educated and informed purchase. Then hang out your feeder and wait for the birds to come…you will be glad you did and so will the birds.
If you are interested in looking at some hummingbird feeders, there are a few hummingbird feeders on the blog. If you should need to know the exact address of the blog it is as follows: http://www.hummingbirdsformom.com. You can click on any of the feeders shown there and get more information on the specific one which is of interest to you. You can also find many more hummingbird feeders at: the following address: http://www.abouthummingbirds.com. There is a link on the home page entitled hummingbird feeders and if you click it you can see the various feeders available there. When you find a feeder that you are interested in, just click on it and you will be taken to where you can obtain additional information about it or even purchase it if you should wish to do so.