Month: July 2009

Categories
Hummingbird Feeders

Why Feeder Placement Matters

  • You will either want to position your feeders extremely close to the window or at least five feet away from the window.  Placing the feeder so close to the window makes it much easier for you to view the hummingbirds as they feed.  Placing the feeder at least five feet away from the window will decease the likelihood that the hummingbird will fly into the window while feeding.
  • The feeder should be placed in an area that is out of the wind and direct sunlight, because this will decrease the amount of nectar that will be spilled from the feeder and it help keep the nectar from fermenting as rapidly.
  • In an effort to help the hummingbirds find your feeders, place the feeders near flowers that are known to attract hummingbirds.  You are then offering the hummingbirds two sources of nectar from which to choose, thus enhancing the likelihood that the hummingbirds will remain frequent visitors to your yard. 
Categories
Hummingbird Videos

Hummingbird Banding 1/2

If you have ever wanted to know about the suject of hummingbird banding then this video is intended for you.  There are two videos on the subject of hummingbird banding done by the creator of this video,  In this video you will discover how the birds are caught so they can be banded, what type of anformation the banders want to gather and more.

Categories
Hummingbird Food

The Mighty Motablism of the Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are extremely large eaters, especially since they are such tiny birds.  The hummingbird is known to have the fastest metabolism on Earth.  How incredibly fast the hummingbird’s matabolism is may shock and amaze you.  The hummingbird’s metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant!  Due to all their activity, hummingbirds will burn its food extremely quickly, which is why the hummingbird will often eat between 1.5 and 3 times their body weight in food each day. 

How does the hummingbird’s matabolism compare with that of a human?  In order for an average man’s matoblism to compare with that of the hummingbird, the man would have to consume an astounding 285 pounds of hamburger per day!  Isn’t that amazing?  Just thinking of that much hamburger meat makes me want to never eat it again.

Categories
Hummingbird Food

The Hummingbird’s Day

The hummingbird will feed quite frequently, between 5 and 8 times an hour according to one source or 7 to 10 times an hour according to another source.  Regardless of which source you believe, it is obvious that each feeding isn’t very long in length.  It has been said that hummingbirds only spend 30% of their time seeking nectar.  The remaining 70% of the hummingbird’s time is spent preening, singing and sunbathing. 

Do you find this information as surprising as I myself do? This just goes to show that while food is important to the hummingbird it isn’t the focus of the hummingbird’s entire day or existence.

Categories
Dear Mom

What is the Longest Hummingbird Mirgration?

It  is important to note that not all species of hummingbirds migrate.  Of those species of hummingbirds that do migrate, the exact length of the migratory journey will depend on the exact species of hummingbird you are referring, 

Today’s post offers a bit of hummingbird trivia.  I hope you will enjoy discovering this bit of hummingbird trivia.  I seemed to have inherited my love of hummingbirds and trivia facts from my mom, so this post makes me think of her because she would be interested in the the information on which species of hummingbird has the longest migratory journey.  

The Rufous Hummingbird is the species with the longest migratory journey,  It is up to 3000 miles in length because its breeding range is in Alaska and its winter range is in Mexico.   No wonder hummingbirds need to gain so much weight just prior to making their migratory journey!