The Longest Bill

Did you know that there is a hummingbird with a bill that is longer then its body? Do you know the name of the species to which I am referring? If not then you will discover something about hummingbirds that you did not yet know.
 
The strange looking species of hummingbird to which I am referring is known as the Sword-billed Hummingbird. It may interest you to know that this is the only bird in the world which has a bill that is actually longer than its body. This causes the bird to be unable to preen itself and therefore it has to use its feet. The reason its bill is so very long is so it can feed on plants with long corollas. This bird also has an unusually long tongue.
 
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Hummingbird Food

Just How Much Do Hummingbirds Eat?

You may have heard that a hummingbird can starve to death quite quickly, in as little as two hours. Due to this, hummingbirds must eat frequently, between 5 and 8 times an hour. Have you ever wondered just how much hummingbirds eat? The answer may surprise you.
 
No other animal on earth has a faster metabolism then the hummingbird. Just how fast is it? It is roughly 100 times that of an elephant. These very tiny birds burn calories so quickly that they often eat 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in food per day! As a result of their efforts to gather enough nectar, these bids must visit hundreds of flowers every day.
 
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Hummingbird Pictures

What is the oldest Mention of Hummingbirds?

hummingbird_gutenberg.jpg

Have you ever wondered when hummingbirds first became  known?  If so , I have the answer for you.  Hope you find it to be as interesting and surprising as I myself did.  The oldest historical mention of hummingbirds dates back to the Tiano Native Americans, around the time of Columbus.

 
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Dear Mom

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone!  I hope that each of you are having a very blessed holiday.  However and wherever you choose to spend your day, take the time to appreciate all of life’s many blessings.  Life is far too short to do otherwise.  I know that I myself have far too many to do otherwise. 

To all my family and friends I love each of you very much and I want to thank you for all that you bring to my life.  Each of you truly make my life worth living and I can’t imagin it without you in it. 

Also, I am very happy and thankful that my sister and her husband have just recently moved back to Texas from Florida.  Having you live closer and getting to visit with you was a very wonderful blessing.  Thanks for coming to visit all the family!

In short, I have so many blessings to be thankful for and I do not intend to take any of them for granted.  I hope that each of you will realize all your own blessings in life and choose not to take them for granted either.  Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Categories
Hummingbird Food

Is Too Good a Habitat Possible?

Is there such a thing as having too good a hummingbird habitat?  Believe it or not, this is quite possible.  Let me explain what I mean by this.

 If there are too many plants, flowers, or shrubs in your area which attract hummingbirds, then the birds may have no need to visit the feeders in the area.  Simply put, the natural food supply is available with such abundance that alternet food sources aren’t necessary.  After all, why shouldn’t the birds prefer the natural food sources available over the artificial nectar solution that we provide in hummingbird feeders?