Month: October 2010

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

Keeping the Hummingbirds In Your Yard Happy

There are people who enjoy hummingbirds and wish to entice these birds to visit their yard regularly, but they wish to do so without the use of hummingbird feeders. If you fall into this category yourself, you are not alone. What you plant in your yard for the hummingbirds to feed upon will serve to entice the hummingbirds to visit your yard and keep them continually returning as well. Think of your efforts this way, you are rewarding the hummingbirds for their hard working efforts as both pollinators and bug eaters.

The following are some suggestions which are commonly known to attract hummingbirds. Not all of these may grow where you live, but to be sure about this please check with your local nursery before making a decision about what to plant in your yard. The scarlet red cardinal flower and black and blue salvia are often good choices. Also, hummingbirds like hibiscus, azaleas and purple bee balm. My last few suggestions would be trumpet honeysuckle, wild columbine, bleeding heart, impatiens and scarlet sage.

Another great way to keep the hummingbirds happy and therefore returning to your yard frequently and with regularity is through the use of a mister or sprinkler. The mister or sprinkler can even be on a timer that makes it turn on at particular times during the day. Hummingbirds enjoy bathing and will quickly learn the timing of your mister or and therefore want to make that their bathing time.

Categories
Hummingbird Food

Not Only Red, Tubular Flowers Attract Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds feed on all types and colors of flowers, not just red tubular ones. Many people mistakenly believe the common misconception that hummingbirds will feed only red tubular flowers. The purpose of this post will be to try and set the record straight regarding this issue.

When selecting a food source, the most important consideration to a hummingbird is the quantity and quality of the nectar source that is available. When selecting a particular flower, the hummingbird will select the flower with the highest nectar output and the richest concentration of sugars, regardless of the shape or color of the flower. Lastly, how the nectar taste is of far greater importance then the color of the flower.

Why not add a lot of color to your yard with a wide range of flowers that are known to attract hummingbirds? You will get the added benefit of having a colorful yard to look at and also increasing the likelihood of seeing the hummingbirds that you wish to attract to your yard.

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Hummingbirds

Where is the Male Hummingbird After Mating?

After the male hummingbird has impregnated the female hummingbird his job is officially done. The male must stay out of sight and therefore has nothing more to do with the female or their young. Why is this? The answer is due to the fact that the bright, flashy colors on the male are a danger to both the female and the young because this could attract predators which would put all at risk.

It is for this reason that the female is responsible for building the nest, feeding and raising the young on her own. The female wants to try and ensure the best possible chance at survival for all.

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Hummingbird Pictures

Broad-Billed Hummingbird Photo and Facts

A Broad Billed Hummingbird is sitting on a tree branch
A Broad Billed Hummingbird is sitting on a tree branch

This photo comes from the website freedigitalphotos.net and was taken by photographer Liz Noffsinger. I wish to acknowledge this and be sure to offer proper credit.

The Broad-Billed Hummingbird likes to sit on a high perch for longer periods of time as compared to other species of hummingbirds.

Agave, Ocotillo, Prickly Pear, and Penstemons are some of the favorite nectar producing plants of the Broad-Billed Hummingbird.

During courtship and aggressive encounters, the male Broad-billed Hummingbird will perform what is known as a pendulum display, starting by hovering about a foot from the female and then flying in repeated arcs, like a pendulum. This display will be followed by a high-pitched zinging sound. Other than this brief description, little additional information is believed to be known about this species maneuvers during courtship. This may be because this bird chooses not to preform such displays whenever humans are present or they choose secluded areas in which to preform their courtship displays.

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbird Videos

Food for Hummingbirds

In this video, Oklahoma Gardening’s Kim Rebek explains that hummingbird feeders can stay out in the landscape well into the fall to help hummingbirds get energy prior to their migration. In addition, you will discover some of the plants on which Oklahoma’s hummingbirds are known to feed.