Month: May 2010

Categories
Hummingbird Videos

Nature’s Aerial Acrobats-Hummingbird Flight Secrets

The flight of the hummingbird is quite unique because of their ability to maintain sustained hovering as well as their ability to fly backward, being the only group of birds able to do so. Hummingbirds may also fly vertically and laterally.

If you have ever wondered what makes hummingbirds so agile and maneuverable, then this video is just what you have been looking for because it will provide you with the answer. Tyson Hedrick, assistant professor of biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, talks about his research, which seeks to explain the flight mechanics of hummingbirds and other winged creatures.

It is believed that this research also might help lead to the development of more effective aerial robotics. Hedrick’s study appears in the April 10, 2009, issue of the journal Science.

Categories
Hummingbird Food Hummingbird Pictures

A Few Facts On Hummingbird Feeding Habits

A hummingbird feeding at a yellow flower
A hummingbird feeding at a yellow flower

A hummingbird must feed frequently or about every 10 minutes. They will feed on nectar, from flowers as well as feeders, as well as small insects such as spiders, flies and more.

Have you every wondered how many flower blooms a hummingbird visits per day? The answer many surprise you. One research study recorded an Anna’s Hummingbird visiting 1,000 flower blooms per day.

Hummingbirds are not born with an innate preference for the color red. Each hummingbird must learn the association between the red flowers and the fact that these flowers are a food source. Does this surprise you? It certainly did me.

A hummingbird can drink up to twice their body weight in nectar per day. This is far more then other species of birds which normally drink between 1/4-1/2 of their body weight per day.

Categories
Hummingbird Feeders

Where Should a Hummingbird Feeder Be Placed?

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am an avid hummingbird enthusiast, so I am often asked a wide variety of questions on the subject of hummingbirds and topics which also relate to hummingbirds. It truly thrills me to be able to answer these type of questions. Here recently a number of people have ask me about the proper placement of their hummingbird feeders, so that is what has prompted me to write today’s post.

There is no such thing as the “perfect” spot to place your hummingbird feeder. You can place your feeder anywhere you would like, but my recommendation would be to place the feeder in a location where you can see it from a window in your home and also somewhere it is easy to get to because you will have to clean and refill it quite frequently. If you make this task to difficult you will not do it and then you would not get to enjoy the hummingbirds.

The easiest thing to do is to hang the feeder from a tree. The birds like this because it allows them to perch on the branches, which act as a form of cover for the birds, and then whenever the birds wish it is easy for them to fly to the feeder and get a drink.

Another suggestion is to hang your feeder a few feet from a birdbath. Since hummingbirds enjoy water sources, the birds will likely want to get a drink or clean themselves before or after eating and this is a way to try and increase the activity at your feeders.

You will want to place your feeders out of the wind and sun. Hanging the feeder where there is too much wind can cause the nectar solution to possibly slosh out of the feeder due to the windy conditions. Placing feeders directly in an area that receives too much sunlight can cause the nectar solution to ferment or spoil too rapidly. This can harm the hummingbirds and cause the birds to no longer trust your food source. If a feeder is made of plastic, too much sun exposure will cause the plastic to crack and fade as a result of prolonged exposure to the sunlight.

A hummingbird feeder should never be placed too close to a window. If the feeder is placed to close to a window, it is possible that the bird may fly into the window by mistake and then either stun or kill itself.

Cats are the number one predator of the hummingbird. In an effort to ensure that your cat is unable to harm the hummingbirds, your feeder should be placed well up off the ground. One source that I read suggested that five feet was the recommended height for a feeder if there are cats in the area.

As you can see from reading this post, there is no such thing as the “perfect” spot in which to place your hummingbird feeder. Keeping these suggestions in mind will help you attract the greatest number of hummingbirds possible as well as being able to enjoy these wonderful birds to the fullest.

Categories
Dear Mom Hummingbirds

Perches Are Needed in a Hummingbird Garden

Yes, hummingbirds do feed frequently, but hummingbirds also have a need for perches on feeders and in in your hummingbird garden. This post will explain what all can act as these perches and why it is important why your hummingbird garden provide this to the hummingbirds that visit your garden.

Hummingbirds look for perches on which to rest and preen whenever they are not feeding. These perches can be in the form thin vines, trellises, wires, clotheslines, or even multiple levels of vegetation that will also provide a source of shelter for the hummingbirds. Due to their extremely aggressive nature, the perches should also provide a good view of the hummingbird’s territory. If you have plants and shrubs on which the hummingbirds will perch, these should be placed near food sources which are known to attract hummingbirds to ensure the best possible success with attracting the hummingbirds.

As I sit here writing this post, I cannot help but think of my mom. You see, my mom did many things to attract the hummingbirds to our yard, but I cannot recall that she did anything except providing feeders with perches to give the hummingbirds a place to perch. As a result, I feel certain that she would have benefited from the information contained in this post to have helped her towards an even greater success with attracting hummingbirds to our yard. It is my hope that you will also benefit from the information contained in this post as well.

Categories
Hummingbirds

The Territorial Nature of Hummingbirds

If you have been watching hummingbirds for any length of time, you have probably noticed that hummingbirds will commonly chase other hummingbirds away from plants or feeders. Do you know why they do this? This post will help give you a better understanding of the territorial nature of hummingbirds.

Male hummingbirds are very territorial for several reasons. The male is trying to defend his feeding territory. The male hummingbird does not want his territory to overlap with other male hummingbirds. A male hummingbird will defend his territory aggressively by doing a bluffing charge attack or he will engage the rival in a physical battle.

Another reason a male hummingbird is so fiercely protective of his territory is due to the desire to attract a mate. Before a female hummingbird agrees to mate with the male she is not allow in the territory and will be driven away from there. Once the female agrees to mate, she is given a”free pass” into the territory. This is extremely important to the female hummingbird because when she is sitting on her eggs or chicks she needs easy access to a nearby food source so she is not gone for too long or the offspring may die.

Do you know what size a territory a male hummingbird can defend? The answer may surprise you as it did me. A male hummingbird can defend a territory that is a quarter-acre or so. If the area contains nectar rich plants and plenty of well maintained feeders, a hummingbird will not have to leave his territory to search for food.

A female hummingbird will defend her nesting territory. The female hummingbird will forage for food up to half a mile in any direction from her nest.

If you wish to decrease the territorial battles among male hummingbirds, try these things. Hang multiple feeders so that there are more feeders for all the birds and maybe the birds will not feel the need to defend the feeder as strongly because there is other feeders from which to choose. Also, it may help if you hang your feeders at different heights.

Yes indeed, hummingbirds are extremely territorial in nature, but there are reasons for this. Many people may even think of hummingbirds as being “antisocial” but this is not the case. There are specific reasons why hummingbirds are territorial in nature and it is my hope that this post has helped you understand this better.