Month: May 2009

Categories
Hummingbirds

The Hummingbird’s Beak

  • The edges of a hummingbird’s top beak will overlap the edges of the hummingbird’s bottom beak.
  • The bottom beak of a hummingbird is slightly flexible.
  • The beak of a hummingbird is not all that different from the beaks of other bird species except that the beak of the hummingbird is just longer in proportion to the hummingbird’s body size.
Categories
Hummingbird Food

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe is Easy

As someone who enjoys hummingbirds, I am often asked various questions on topics concerning hummingbirds.  Recently, someone once again asked me about how to make homemade nectar solution.  This is a subject that I thought I would once again take the opportunity to address.  Making your own hummingbird nectar is a very quick and inexpensive thing to do.  Therefore, it is no necessary to go out and purchase the ready made nectar solution.  So, here is the recipe to make homemade nectar solution. 

  1. Mix together 1 part white table sugar (like you use in your cereal or coffee) and 4 parts water only.  Please do not use any other type of sugar or sugar substitute.  Bring this mixture to a boil for about a minute to help the sugar dissolve and also help kill any mold or bacteria that may be present.
  2. Let the mixture cool completely and then fill and hang your feeders.
  3. Any unused homemade nectar solution may be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  4. Please do not use red dye to color the nectar solution.  This is not necessary because the vast majority of the feeders on the market today have some amount of red on them and this will attract the birds.  Also, the use of red dye is believed to be harmful to the hummingbirds.

I hope that this simple recipe will encourage all of you who enjoy hummingbirds to make your own nectar solution.  By doing so you will be saving some money and you will help ensure that the birds will have a plentiful food source.

 

Categories
Hummingbird Pictures Hummingbird Videos

Hummingbirds

This video consist of a series of beautiful photos of hummingbirds.  With the hectic nature of life, it is probably not often that we stop and appreciate the beauty that is found in nature.  I hope that this video will remind you to do so.

Categories
Hummingbird Videos

Baby Hummingbirds-First 21 Days

This remarkable video shows baby hummingbirds from the time the eggs hatch until they leave the nest, which occured 21 days later.  This process isn’t one that many of us will ever be fortunate enough to witness on a firsthand basis, so I hope you will enjoy the opportunity to witness it via this video.

Categories
Hummingbirds

What is the Size of a Hummingbird Nest?

The size of a hummingbird nest is extremely tiny; on average it will only be 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  That is the diameter of a penny.  It will usually look like a small cup that is about the size of a walnut shell.  Not all hummingbird nest are cup shaped.  The Hermit Hummingbird’s nest is cone shaped.