Month: September 2010

Categories
Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird Food

Should You Move Your Hummingbird Feeder?

Has your hummingbird feeder been in the same exact location for a long time and you now find that you are having trouble with various insects at the feeder? One way to help with this issue is to relocate your feeder somewhere else. In this post you will discover why this will help the issue.

Insects as well as hummingbirds are creatures of habit and will likely visit the most convenient and reliable food source available. Insects are unlike hummingbirds because the insects are far less likely to search for a relocated food source. This is why the act of moving a feeder can decrease the number of insects visiting it.

The simple act of moving your feeder, even just a few feet, can help decrease the number of insects which visit your hummingbird feeder. In a very short time, maybe even a few minutes, hours or days, the hummingbirds will once again find your hummingbird feeder because these birds do not mind searching for a dependable food source and due to the bird’s excellent memory they will return again and again to the feeder that is responsible for it.

Categories
Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

What is a Baby Hummingbird’s Diet?

I am constantly astounded by the constant discoveries about hummingbirds that I continue to make. This post is the direct result of one such discovery and it will discuss the diet of a baby hummingbird. I hope that you will find it as interesting as I myself did while doing the research for this post.

When a baby hummingbird is first born it is unable to eat nectar as an adult hummingbird would do. The mother hummingbird will feed on bugs and nectar which will then be regurgitated in the form of a slurry substance on which the baby hummingbirds are feed approximately every 20 minutes.

The mother hummingbird will signal to the baby hummingbirds that it is time to eat by landing on the nest which causes the babies to feel the wind from the mother’s wings and thus open their mouth. Using her beak the mother hummingbird will place the food (the slurry substance) inside the baby hummingbird’s mouth with the use of an up-and-down pumping motion.

If a baby hummingbird were fed only normal nectar this would cause harm to the baby hummingbird. The baby hummingbird would likely be severely crippled or even die, due to the fact the normal nectar lacks enough protein.

A baby hummingbird will begin to fly at about the age of three weeks. At this time, the mother hummingbird will accompany the young birds for a few more days to show the young where the best sources of nectar and bugs can be located. It is after this that the young birds are then left to live on their own.

Even though I have a large knowledge base on the subject of hummingbirds, I never want to stop learning about these amazing birds. I know I enjoy making these kinds of discoveries and it is my hope that you all will as well. This type of topic especially makes me think of my mom and our shared love of these birds, because I know she would have enjoyed making these same discoveries right along with each of you.

Categories
Hummingbird Food

Proper Storage of Hummingbird Nectar Solution

Whether you are an avid hummingbird enthusiast or if you are a new fan of hummingbird watching, it is important to be aware that your hummingbird feeders will need to be refilled quite frequently. With this in mind, you may wish to make a fairly large batch of homemade nectar solution ahead of time. Regardless of if you choose to make your own nectar solution or to buy it, you must know just how long it can be kept in the refrigerator and how to store it properly and safely.

Until you have some idea of the number of hummingbirds that will be frequenting your feeders, I would recommend making just enough nectar solution to refill your feeders at the given moment. This helps ensure that the solution is fresh at the time your feeders are replenished.

Once you have a better idea of the number of hummingbirds that will likely be visiting your feeders and with what amount of regularity this will likely occur, you may then decide to mix up a larger batch of nectar solution. This homemade nectar solution can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. It is important that the nectar solution be properly labeled to ensure that the contents of the container are clearly known to all.

In what type of container should any unused homemade nectar solution be stored? It has been my own experience that either empty milk containers or empty two liter soda bottles seem to work quite well. Another suggestion would be a glass canning jar with a tight fitting lid.

If you should choose to use packaged nectar solution rather then making your own, please be sure and follow the label’s own instructions concerning how to safely store it properly.

A final word of caution, regardless of if you make your own homemade nectar solution or you choose to use packaged nectar solution, if you have any doubt as to whether or not the solution is still safe or not please discard it as a precaution. If the mixture is discolored, foul-smelling or cloudy this would indicate that the mixture has spoiled and must be disposed of immediately.

Categories
Hummingbirds

Is It a Male or Female Hummingbird?

Do you know how to tell the difference between a male and female hummingbird? This is often quite difficult to determine with certainty, but there are distinguishing characteristics which can help with this process. This includes size, migration habits, plumage and tail. This post will discuss the characteristics which will aide you in becoming more of an expert at determining if the hummingbird at your feeder is a male or a female.

Generally speaking, female hummingbirds are usually larger than male hummingbirds. This is not always the case though so this is not an absolutely foolproof way to help you determine the gender of the bird. Also, it is necessary for the female hummingbird to be slightly bigger to be able to produce eggs, to afford to share their body heat with the eggs while incubating, and to be able to share their food when feeding nestlings.

It is the male hummingbirds which migrate first before the females and the juveniles. The males will migrate up to three weeks ahead of the females and the juveniles, so if you think a hummingbird which is migrating early then this could indicate that the bird is a male hummingbird.

There is a difference in the plumage of the male and female hummingbird. It may come as a bit of a surprise to many of you, but it is only the male hummingbird which has the brilliant iridescent throat feathers. Just in case you were wondering, yes, these feathers serve two very important functions: attracting a female and defending their territory. They use these to display to one another. Females find it attractive, and other males are repelled. Male hummingbirds are extremely feisty and territorial and these feathers are part of their territorial display.

The tail of a hummingbird can provide a vital clue to help determine if it is a male or female hummingbird. Most of the time, the tail of an adult male hummingbird will be solid in color while most female and juveniles’ tails have white tipped rather then solid in color.

There is no absolutely foolproof method of determining the gender of a hummingbird, but with the aide of the characteristics listed above you should have much greater success in doing so. Best of luck everyone and happy birdwatching!

Categories
Hummingbirds

Hook-billed Hermit Hummingbird Facts

According to the website eHow.com, the Hook-billed Hermit Hummingbird is the only hummingbird species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act or ESA. This species of hummingbird lives in the forest of eastern Brazil. The habitat of the Hook-billed Hermit Hummingbird is being damaged and destroyed due fire and road building.

Also, global warming or a rise in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere is effecting the migration of hummingbirds in general. This may cause the hummingbirds to be in unusual locations and thus find that the food supply is quite scarce.