Month: August 2009

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Dear Mom Hummingbird Food

Trumpet Creeper and Hummingbirds

As a hummingbird enthusiast, my mom knew that  hummingbirds like plants which are rich in nectar.  Each year she would look for new plants to add to that year’s collection which were intended to try and entice the hummingbirds to our yard.  There was often no telling what mom’s choices would be, but you could be assured that the choices would be very bright and colorful, and that there would be plenty of the flowers and plants that were commonly known to attract hummingbirds in our area of the country. Even though mom knew that the hummingbirds liked plants rich in nectar, I doubt that she ever wondered which one produces the highest volume of nectar per bloom.  Regardless of this fact,  if she were still alive today, I know that she would be interested in the answer that I am now able to give all of you who read this post.  

According to the Hummingbird Society, the Trumpet Creeper is known for producing the highest volume of nectar per bloom.  If you choose to grow Trumpet Creeper, you will want to trim back the vines of it each fall to help ensure that you create a short plant that has many blooms.

Prior to doing some research for this post, I had never before heard of Trumpet Creeper, but I can now see why it would be a favorite with the hummingbirds, because the hummingbird is known to select the flower that has the highest nectar output and richest concentration of sugars, regardless of the shape or color of the flower.

I do not know if my mom had ever heard of Trumpet Creeper or not, but if she had heard of it, I feel certain that it would have eventually made it in to our yard in the hope of attracting the hummingbirds.  So, if this plant will grow in your area of the country, why not consider placing it in your yard?  The hummingbirds will be extremely glad you did and I’m sure you will be too.

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Dear Mom

Do Hummingbirds Have Ribs?

You would be amazed at the things that can inspire a post.  I have been having some pain in my ribs lately, although the exact cause of this is unknown, this has sparked my curiosity and caused me to wonder if hummingbirds have ribs or not.  Here is what I discovered on the subject.  I hope you will find it interesting.  This is the type of usual topic that my mom would have enjoyed discovering about, so I think I want to lean the answer in her honor and then share it with others.  

Yes, hummingbirds do indeed have ribs,  In fact, depending on the species of the hummingbird, they usually have eight pair of ribs.  This is more then most others species of birds which usually have six pair of ribs.  In comparison, humans usually have 12 pairs of ribs, which are numbered 1-12.

The purpose of the hummingbird’s ribs is to serve as a a form of protection for the hummingbird’s lung and heart.  In this sense the hummingbird’s ribs have a very similar purpose to that of a humans ribs which is to provide a form of protective covering to our own internal organs.  

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Dear Mom

A High Metabolic Rate

Mom, guess what?  A hummingbird has a very high metabolic rate.  I have discovered some very interesting things about this that I think you would have enjoyed knowing, because you always enjoyed interesting bits of trivia or facts.  Since I can’t share them with you personally I will honor your memory and fun loving nature by sharing this information with others.

  • The high metabolic rate of the hummingbird is necessary in order for the hummingbird to be able to achieve hovering flight.
  • A hummingbird’s metabolism is approximately 100 times that of an elephant.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we humans could have that metabolism?
  • At night the hummingbird will strive to maintain its resting metabolic rate, and the hummingbird may store up to one-third of its weight in nectar to help make sure that it does not starve to death before dawn. 

I can just imagine your utter fascination with these facts mom.  I’m sure you and I would have had quite the conversation about them and it would have led to a continued lively and entertaining discussion on the subject of hummingbirds.  Oh well, this post will serve as my virtual conversation with you and the others who read this.

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Dear Mom Hummingbird Feeders

Multiple Hummingbird Feeders

Our yard was always full of multiple hummingbird feeders.  Mom wanted the hummingbirds to have plenty of opportunities to feed and she believed  that having the multiple feeders in the yard would attract more of the hummingbirds that we so enjoyed watching.  The are indeed advantages to having multiple hummingbird  feeders throughout your yard and and this post will discuss them.  

My mom seemed to know that the best way to prevent a single hummingbird from monopolizing her feeders was to have multiple feeders and place them out of view of each other around our yard. She would also group a bunch of feeders together so that no single hummingbird can possibly defend each hummingbird feeder.

 Another thing that mom would do was to hang our nectar feeders at varying heights. It is interesting to note that different hummingbird species will favor and defend different hummingbird feeders that are at varying heights. I’m not sure if mom actually knew this or not or if she just liked the way the feeders looked when hanging at the varying heights.  Also, some hummingbird species like to feed at heights of 12 to 15 feet, while others typically feed on low growing flowers and will prefer feeders placed closer to the ground.   Our feeders were placed at 3 different heights which seemed to help to reduce aggression between hummingbirds.

 There are advantages to placing multiple feeders around your yard.  This is something my mom seemed to fully understand and I truly believe it to have been one of the many reasons that our yard was a hummingbird  haven.  If you are interested in attracting lots of hummingbirds to your yard, why not try placing multiple feeders around your yard?  You and the hummingbirds will be glad that you did so.

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Hummingbird Videos

Bird Watching:Hummingbird Migration Routes

Are you someone who has always believed that every species of hummingbird migrates?  If so, I’m here to inform you that this is simply not true, because not all species of hummingbirds migrate. Have you ever wondered where the hummingbirds that do migrate every winter go on their migratory journey?  If so, you will discover this and more about hummingbird migration while watching this informative video.